8th November 2005

China-EU summit tackles thorny issue of human rights

A major conference, attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon John Prescott MP and State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan bringing together key players from the EU and China today debated China's relations with countries who abuse human rights and break international law. The conference, organised by the Foreign Policy Centre, the Centre for European Reform and the Chinese Academy for Social Sciences was held during the state visit of the Chinese Premier, Hu Jintao.

STEPHEN TWIGG, Director of the Foreign Policy Centre today said:

"China's relationship with countries such as Sudan, Iran and Zimbabwe are a worrying example of a government putting the national interest of obtaining oil ahead of the protection of human rights and the non-proliferation of WMD.

"The fact that Sudan has abused human rights in Darfur and elsewhere; Zimbabwe has systematically attacked its own citizens; and Iran is intent on developing nuclear weapons while saying 'Israel should be wiped off the map' suggests that China is on very weak ground in its support for such regimes.

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7th November 2005

2005 could be seen as first year of US-China cold war

On the eve of the state visit of the Chinese Premier, Mr Hu Jintao, STEPHEN TWIGG, Director of the Foreign Policy Centre, today said:

"There is a growing risk of a new cold war between the US and China, if tensions are not averted."

"The recent slide in relations between the two countries has set alarm bells ringing amongst moderates on both sides. There is a growing risk of a descent into open geo-political rivalry. This would affect everything from global free trade to the proliferation of WMD.

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The EU and China must turn talk of a 'strategic partnership' into action, by identifying concrete areas for cooperation on pressing global issues, from energy and climate change to weapons proliferation and genocide.

On 18-20 May 2005 the FPC and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), in association with the FPC's partners, Accenture, the Corporation of London and the Centre for European Reform (CER), will host the first Unofficial EU-China Summit in Beijing. This aims to create a 'second track' process for discussion and shape a concrete agenda for joint action, in advance of the official EU-China summit due to be held in late 2005 under the UK presidency of the EU.

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New FPC reports challenge conventional wisdom on China's energy demand and global economic impact.

The domestic regulation of China's energy use is the issue of greatest significance for global energy markets; and analysts have underestimated China's impact on the global economic system, two incisive new reports from the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC)

argue.

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26 April 2005

European leaders must mount a forceful public diplomacy campaign to convince the US Congress that they will continue to restrict the export of arms to China effectively after lifting the 1989 embargo, according to a new Foreign Policy Centre report.

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