To facilitate the drafting of the Communication on the economic and trade relations between European Union and China, awaited for the end of this year, the Commission launched a public consultation in recent days; it is open to all the parties concerned, who are invited “to send in comments on the ways in which the Union ought to manage its own relations with China in the next decade”. European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, during a presentation of European trade objectives for the years to come, called China “the greatest challenge of globalization in the sector”. He emphasised that Europe has an obligation” to make no mistake about China, whether she be a threat, an opportunity or a prospective global partner”. According to the Commissioner, a debate about the “key challenges of intellectual property, market access and investment opportunities” is about to start both in Europe and in China.
