British Ambassador to China Sir Christopher Hum promised to "strengthen the partnership between the European Union and China" "to the best of" their abilities when he raised the EU flag in the British Embassy in Beijing on July 1, the day when the UK took the EU presidency.

The overall themes for the UK Presidency of the EU will be security, stability and sustainable prosperity and opportunity.

EU: works together effectively, strengthen partnership with China

The UK has also identified the priorities on promoting the EU-China relations in the second half of 2005. It expects to reach agreement with China on the launch of a new EU-China Framework Agreement and EU-China partnership on energy and climate security at the EU-China summit in September this year.

Mr. Hum said he not only "hope", but "believe" the summit would be "full of substance and achievements".

The UK expresses its willingness to help to "make significant progress toward Market Economy Status for China".

To enhance the EU-China trade relationship, the EU hopes to work with China to contribute to a successful Hong Kong WTO Ministerial meeting in December this year and to engage on development issues, in particular on the UN Millennium Development Goals.

The UK also proposes a China-Europe Arts Summer School, a "Europe Street" cultural fair in Beijing, and a high-level "Europe-China Education Conference" to deepen the bilateral exchanges in culture, education and science.

The UK intends to strengthen dialogues between China and the EU on various issues, including counter proliferation of mass destructive weapons, migration, human rights and regional security.

On June 30, the day before the UK's EU Presidency, China and EU signed a joint declaration of aviation cooperation. The UK promises to take forward work on a Civil Aviation Agreement and to support efforts to implement the Joint Declaration on EU-China Research Cooperation.

Sir Christopher Hum affirmed that the EU's discussion on its "internal affairs" should not affect in any way the discussion on issues between EU and China.

The UK's EU Presidency takes place when the EU faces the crisis of unity. The UK vows to work with EU partners, the European Commission and the European Parliament to promote the Europe's role in the world, the economic Reform and Social Justice, security and stability and agreement on Future Financing.

The British Prime Minister Tony Blair proposed on July 1 an informal summit of EU members in autumn this year. He called on pressing the EU reform and "updating" the social system.

The new EU logo which will last for the six months shows 12 swans with a pattern which makes the swans fly together effectively. This, Sir Christopher Hum explains, symbolizes that the EU members work together effectively. And as the swans are flying eastwards, it symbolizes the EU is "stretching over toward China".

By People's Daily Online