CHINA: PARTNERSHIP AND CO-OPERATION FRAMEWORK
AGREEMENT
Letter from Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP,
Minister for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Chairman
I am writing to inform your Committee of a Recommendation
by the European Commission to open discussions on negotiating
a Partnership and Co-operation Framework Agreement with China.
Relations with China are currently based on
the Trade and Economic Agreement, concluded in 1985. The EU-China
relationship has developed beyond recognition in recent years
and this agreement is no longer adequate for the more dynamic
and strategic EU-China partnership which covers a wide range of
areas including trade, political dialogue, counter-terrorism and
non-proliferation.
The nature of the Agreement will be determined
during the negotiations, but it is envisaged that the result will
be a mixed agreement providing a framework for encompassing the
full scope of the EU-China relationship. Once the negotiations
are completed, we expect a Council Decision endorsing the text
of the agreement. I will of course submit this Decision for scrutiny
in the usual way.
12 January 2006
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