By Martin Banks - 24th February 2009
When it comes to relations with parliament there is certainly room for improvement”
Zhang Zhijun
The European parliament has been accused of "lagging behind" other EU institutions in cultivating relations with China.
The accusation was made by Zhang Zhijun, a senior Chinese parliamentarian on a high-level visit to parliament.
"Parliament should be an important channel through which we can promote a better understanding between China and Europe," he said.
"However, many of its actions and the resolutions it adopts are to the contrary of this objective," said Zhang, a deputy minister in the international department of the central committee.
He cited as an example, last autumn's visit to parliament of the Dalai Lama and MEP criticism of China's response to last year's uprising in Tibet.
"The decision to invite the Dalai Lama to parliament upset and hurt a lot of Chinese people. That, and the criticism by MEPs over Tibet had a very negative impact and, as we know, damaged relations between Beijing and the EU."
"The thing that was damaged most was political trust with parliament. When it comes to relations with parliament there is certainly room for improvement."
He said one of the solutions would be to increase the number of exchanges between parliament and China's equivalent, the national people's congress.
"I would like to see parliament adopt a more pro-active approach to enhancing cooperation with China."
Zhang, who led a six-strong Chinese delegation, was in Brussels at the invitation of the European People's Party.
During his four-day visit, which concluded on Saturday, he had a series of meetings with parliament's president Hans-Gert Pöttering and senior MEPs, including Joseph Daul, leader of the EPP-ED group, Socialist leader Martin Schulz and GUE leader Francis Wurtz.
He also met Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, president of the Party of European Socialists, and Wilfried Martens, who leads the pan-European EPP.
The visit also included meetings with EU trade commissioner Catherine Ashton and Robert Cooper, director general for the council's external relations.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.