Annex 3
UK/CHINA JOINT STATEMENT (2004)
The Premier of the State Council of the People's
Republic of China, H.E. Wen Jiabao and the Prime Minister of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon
Tony Blair MP, held talks in London on 10 May 2004 during Premier
Wen Jiabao's official visit to the UK.
Premier Wen Jiabao and Prime Minister Tony Blair
today welcome the comprehensive strategic partnership between
China and the UK, and pledge to work together to develop this
partnership to benefit our countries and to help create a safer,
more prosperous and open world.
We share a common interest in Britain and China
working together on bilateral, multilateral and global issues.
We see the relationship between our two countries as among our
top international priorities.
China's sustained economic growth and development,
and increasing role as a global economic power has enabled the
partnership to grow significantly in stature in recent years.
Links flourish in a huge number of areas, from environment to
education, development to science and technology.
We agree that co-operation between China and
the UK has increased significantly since our last meeting in July
2003. We look forward to continuing high level dialogue at the
China-EU Summits in 2004 and 2005, the latter in Beijing under
the UK Presidency of the EU, and also at the summits between us
that we have now agreed will take place annually.
Following Tony Blair's visit to China last year,
we decided to establish Task Forces to facilitate this step-change
in bilateral relations. These Task Forces have drawn in expertise
from all parts of society and have produced new proposals in Trade
and Investment, Finance, Energy, Education, Science and Technology,
Environment—including Climate Change—and Sustainable
Development, and Culture (See Annex). We wish to thank Deputy
Prime Minister John Prescott and State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan,
the respective Task Force Chairmen, and the Task Force members
for their work.
The breadth and depth of China-UK relations
are illustrated by the Task Forces' proposals and increasing co-operation
on a growing number of shared issues of international concern
including environmental management and protection, energy, non-proliferation,
counter-terrorism and tackling organised crime.
We agree to strengthen our countries' bilateral
and multilateral co-operation as follows:
1. To consolidate and strengthen the bilateral
relationship:
(i) We agree to increase the exchange of
high-level visits. Government leaders and foreign ministers of
the two countries will exchange visits annually to reinforce and
extend bilateral political co-operation in fields such as strategic
security and non-proliferation.
(ii) We agree to intensify co-operation
in broad areas of trade and investment, which we will promote
through the Joint Economic and Trade Commission, in line with
the recommendations of the Task Forces which are set out in the
Annex.
(iii) The two sides will also increase co-operation
in the areas of science, technology, education, culture and environmental
protection in line with the Task Forces' proposals. They signed
a number of memoranda of understanding during this visit to take
forward aspects of this co-operation.
(iv) We note the important role that the
China-UK Forum has played in bilateral relations and invite the
Forum to consider its future role, in particular in the areas
of industry, financial services, science, technology and the environment,
in light of the proposals made by the two Task Forces.
We had a friendly and open exchange of views
on issues relating to Hong Kong. We reaffirmed our two Governments'
commitments to the implementation of the Joint Declaration and
agreed that it is in the interests of both sides to maintain and
promote Hong Kong's prosperity and stability in accordance with
the "one country, two systems" principle and the Basic
Law. We agreed to continue our exchange of views on these issues.
The UK reaffirms its consistent position on
the question of Taiwan as set out in the China/UK Joint Communiqué
of 1972, in which the UK acknowledged the Chinese position that
Taiwan is a province of the People's Republic of China and recognised
the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal
government of China.
We place a high value on the bilateral human
rights dialogue and will continue this exchange on the basis of
equality and mutual respect. Both sides share a belief that all
states should respect and protect human rights. The UK side welcomes
the recent addition of respect and protection for human rights
to the Chinese Constitution. The next round of the dialogue will
take place in May 2004 and provides a genuine opportunity for
concrete co-operation between our two countries.
2. To consolidate and strengthen co-operation
in multilateral fora on issues of mutual and international concern.
Our countries will increase co-ordination in
the UN to promote reforms in the UN to meet the challenges of
the 21st century and to ensure greater respect for the UN Charter
and international law. The two sides are committed to expanding
co-operation within the framework of UN peacekeeping. China would
like to strengthen consultations with the UK, including on the
Middle East and Iraq.
We reiterate our determination to combat terrorism.
Our governments will launch a China-UK anti-terrorism dialogue
and intensify exchanges and co-operation in this area.
We reiterate our determination to promote non-proliferation.
The UK welcomes China's commitment to non-proliferation and the
actions it has taken to that end, and in particular welcomes the
steps taken by China to strengthen its relationships with the
non-proliferation export control regimes. China appreciates the
efforts of the UK in promoting the resolution of the implementation
of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in Iran within the framework of
IAEA, and in persuading Libya to abandon WMD programmes. The UK
also welcomes China's leading role in the Six Party Talks on the
nuclear issues on the Korean peninsular. The two sides will intensify
exchanges and co-operation in security, arms control, disarmament
and non-proliferation areas.
We reaffirmed our commitments to work together
to combat illegal immigration. The two Governments signed a Memorandum
of Understanding on the Facilitation of Legitimate Travel and
Co-operation to Combat Illegal Immigration.
The two sides also endorse closer police co-operation.
They agree, in accordance with international legal instruments
such as the UN Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime,
to enhance information exchange and law enforcement co-operation
and work closely to crack down upon transnational crime.
Both sides speak highly of the positive achievements
of the ASEM in promoting equal partnership between Asia and Europe,
and express their readiness to further strengthen co-operation
in the ASEM.
3. China and the UK pledge to enhance co-operation
on international economic problems and to promote sustainable
development.
The two sides will work together for the attainment
of the UN Millennium Development Goals: the elimination of poverty,
hunger, disease, environmental degradation, illiteracy, discrimination
against women, and delivering the commitments made at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development at all levels, inter alia, through
the Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD).
Both sides are committed to international trade
liberalisation and they will continue to advance the Doha Development
Agenda negotiations. Both sides agree that realisation of the
development objectives is of fundamental importance for the success
of the round. They agree that it is in the interests of all WTO
members to reach a balanced conclusion of the Doha round as soon
as possible, and that they will work towards reaching a framework
agreement in 2004. The UK and China agree to maintain their dialogue
on this.
Both sides recognise the importance of effective
protection of Intellectual Property Rights and the vital role
that protection of IPRs plays in fostering foreign investment
and creating a positive business environment. Both sides agree
to enhance mutual co-operation on protection of IPRs. China will
comply with its commitments under relevant international IPR conventions
or agreements it has entered and protect the interests of IPR
holders according to its domestic laws.
China and the UK reiterate their support for
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and urge parties
that have not yet done so to ratify the Kyoto Protocol as soon
as possible. The two sides also urge all countries to make the
most efficient use of energy resources that they can, and call
on all Annex 1 countries to lead the way by making concerted efforts
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions so as to move towards the goals
defined by the convention.
China and the UK recognise the importance of
Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
which emphasises the importance of access to information; public
participation in decision-making; and access to justice in environmental
matters.
The two sides also agree to share scientific
and economic experience to take forward the China's and UK's efforts
to achieve a low carbon economy and sustainable development, and
to accelerate and develop the global market for climate friendly
technologies, including through the Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency Partnership.
The two sides reaffirm their wish to strengthen
exchanges on environmental issues including climate change, sustainable
management of natural resources, and measures to address forest
law enforcement (including illegal logging), conservation of water
resources, improving air quality and pollution control, and to
learn from each other on environment-related legislation, supervision
and personnel training.
Both sides will work together to help developing
countries in addressing poverty and other development-related
problems so as to better manage challenges posed by globalisation.
The two sides place particular emphasis on peace and security,
the fight against HIV/AIDS and sustainable development in Africa
and give their full support to African countries in their efforts
to reach the Millennium Development Goals.
10 May 2004
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