Beijing: China's aid to Europe is uncondition...

Beijing reaffirmed yesterday that its support to European economies to help alleviate its debt woes is “unconditional”, although, a Ministry of Commerce spokesman said China is disappointed at EU’s inaction to recognize the country as a market economy. 

"China has set no preconditions for offering help to others. We only hope that we can gain respect when treating others sincerely," Shen Danyang, spokesperson for the ministry, told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, EU and China may start negotiations next month for the first pan-European investment agreement with a major trading power. Chinese investment in Europe tripled between 2009 and 2010, and Europe is urging for more. 

Trade officials from the two sides are expected to meet in Tianjin, a major port city near Beijing, on October 25, to begin the first round of talks aimed at reaching a bilateral investment deal, EU officials said. 

"I hope that ... when we have the EU-China summit in Tianjin, we will be able to launch these negotiations or at least come to agreement in principle to do so," EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said.

Shen Danyang, the Chinese ministry spokesman, said China has done its best to help EU since the debt woes broke out in Europe in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis. 

He said that China aiding Europe in its time of difficulty and the EU granting market economy status to China are two different issues, and they are not connected.

"China was very disappointed that the EU refused to grant the nation full market economy status despite its complete transition from a planned economy to a market economy after 30 years of reform and opening up," Shen said.

The comments rebutted speculation that China was setting explicit conditions for aiding Europe.

Premier Wen Jiabao, addressing the summer Davos forum in Dalian, northeast China last Wednesday, urged European countries to "take a new move with strategic Sino-Euro relationships by admitting China's full market economy status."

China was ready to increase its investment in Europe, and at the same time Europe should recognized China's market economy status, Wen said.

Market economy status is a designation in international trade law that would grant China more favorable terms in certain trade disputes such as anti-dumping probes.

The EU last Thursday slapped a protectionist duty of between 26.3 percent and 69.7 percent on Chinese ceramic tiles. 

Close to 150 members of the World Trade Organization, including New Zealand and Singapore, have recognized China's market economy status. 

"Giving China market economy status is a political decision, not a technical issue," Shen said.