This was highlighted by Commissioner Ashton during the EU- China talks. EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton and Chinese Vice- Premier Wang Qishan stressed at the Second meeting of the EU- China High level Trade and Economic Dialogue (HED) the necessity of economic openness in order to tackle the financial and economic crisis. The Dialogue which took place between 7/8 of May, included a discussion on ‘trade, investment and competition ; small and medium-sized companies ; customs cooperation ; sustainable development including low carbon economy ; energy ; food safety and trade in food, consumer protection and product safety ; healthcare ; innovation and intellectual property rights ; geographical indications ; technology and information society ; and transport.’. Both China and the EU delegation supported growth and trade opportunities for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

Source : European Commission Audiovisual Service