China and the European Union enjoy great potential for boosting cooperation in the green economy and energy efficiency, said President of the Party of European Socialists (PES) Poul Nyrup Rasmussen in Beijing on Tuesday.
Rasmussen said green energy is one of the key areas for future EU-China cooperation.
He said the development of the green economy and renewable energy will boost economic growth, benefit people, and in particular, create millions of jobs.
Besides the green economy, he also suggested both sides beef up cooperation in trade, innovation, education, human resources as well as enhance coordination in regulating financial markets within international institutions such as the G20 and International Monetary Fund.
Rasmussen, who served as the Danish prime minister from 1993-2001, spoke highly of Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to Europe last month.
“Premier Wen came at the right time with the right message,” he said.
During Wen’s trip to Europe in late June, China offered to buy some of Hungary’s sovereign debt and provide a special loan of 1 billion euros (about 1.44 billion dollars) to support joint ventures between enterprises from the two countries.
The move has renewed China’s promise to support debt-ridden EU members.
“China’s help was enormously important,” said Rasmussen, saying China’s investment in European countries’ sovereign debts was part of the efforts to stabilize the euro. The move offered support to Europe in reviving the zone’s economy and reforming financial markets, he added.
Considering party-to-party exchanges, he said relations between the PES and the Communist Party of China (CPC) had become closer, adding he would like to see stronger cooperation with the CPC, especially with regard to job creation, improving the well-beings of people and reducing social injustice.
Rasmussen, who is leading a PES delegation’s China visit from July 3 to 7, extended his congratulations to China for the 90th anniversary of the CPC. He said his party agreed with the CPC on the policy of putting people first.
Rasmussen was invited to China by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.
Xinhua