BRUSSELS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- "The European Union (EU) and China must work together... I believe China is open to do business with the European Union on trade, but also on like-minded issues like the reform of the WTO (World Trade Organization)," Phil Hogan, the European commissioner in charge of agriculture and trade commissioner-designate of the new European Commission, said on Tuesday.
Addressing the 9th Europe-China Forum, a joint initiative of Friends of Europe -- a European think-tank, and the Chinese Mission to the EU, Hogan hailed the deal on geographical indications between China and the EU "as a very good start."
"China and the European Union are very important partners in finding solutions, not just for usual trading relationship, but also more and more for the international challenges of our time," he told a 200-strong audience.
"And we have to face together on issues like climate change, like strengthening international peace and security, promoting sustainable development, supporting the effective multilateralism of the World Trade Organization," he noted.
On WTO reform, he warned that the organization is "facing an existential crisis." Commenting on the the deadlock over the WTO Appellate Body, which is caused by the United States' blocking of its new members' nomination, Hogan told the audience that "We don't agree with this."
"The United States seem to want to collapse the Appellate Body system and go back to the old pre-1995 system," he said.
The Appellate Body functions as the de facto court of appeals at the WTO and is comprised of seven members. At least three members are needed to hear an appeal, but the nomination of new members has been blocked by the United States. If that remains the case, the body will have too few members to function by the end of this year.
According to the WTO, a dysfunctional Appellate Body and a crippled dispute settlement system are very worrisome and will open the door to more unilateral actions.
"So we have to be prepared to look at Plan B if this is necessary to maintain the rules-based multilateral system. And this is where the European Union and China can work closely together," he said.
Discussing the trade tensions between China and the U.S., Hogan acknowledged that there are differences of opinion between China and the EU on certain issues, but "that doesn't mean we have to abandon cooperation and dialogue and engage in confrontation to try to solve these issues."
Organized jointly with the China Institute for Reform and Development and the China Public Diplomacy Association, the two-day forum was dedicated to the theme of "convergence, divergence and the vital space between."
Commenting on the divergences between the EU and China raised by some participants, including the level playing field, market access and the so-called "promise fatigue," Wang Hongjian, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Mission to the EU, said in his opening remarks at the forum Tuesday that "in all fairness, in a global environment of rising protectionism, China's determination, intensity and speed to open its doors still wider are rare and deserve recognition."
"While urging China to be more open, the EU itself must keep to the basic principles of market economy and treat Chinese companies in a fair, equitable and non-discriminatory manner," he said, taking 5G and the screening of foreign investment, as examples.
The fulfilment of any agenda in China-EU relations must call for concerted efforts from both sides toward a win-win solution. China and the EU do not have fundamental conflicts of interest, said Wang.
"Our relations are defined by cooperation. Convergences prevail over divergences ... It is normal that there are differences, which must be treated with an open mind," he told the audience.
"We need to manage the differences and strive to solve them by building consensus. China will continue to do the right things and work with the EU with utmost sincerity to implement the agreed agenda," he said.
Co-funded by the Europe for Citizens Program of the EU, the forum gathered policy makers, business representatives and leading academics from across Europe and China to discuss issues of shared interest as well as areas of disagreement, while at the same time addressing pressing common challenges.
