EU offers help to deal with social challenges

By Wang Zhenghua
Updated: 2008-01-16 07:42

SHANGHAI: China and the European Union (EU) can learn from each other in addressing social challenges like aging populations, unemployment and wealth gaps, an EU commissioner said yesterday.

Vladimir Spidla, commissioner for employment, social affairs and equal opportunities, made the remarks at a press conference in Shanghai, wrapping up his visit to the nation's economic powerhouse.

Spidla's visit was aimed to hold policy dialogue and strengthen cooperation between EU and China.

"I noticed from this visit that China and the EU are inter-dependent. What I mean is that China is influencing Europe, and Europe is influencing China as well. We are faced with very similar challenges and problems," Spidla said.

"We both face rapidly aging populations as a result of low birth rates and increasing life expectancies. Both regions will see the beginning of a modest decline in population size after 2025," Spidla said.

Since the launch of the first EU-China dialogue in employment and social affairs in 2005 and a 20-million-euro ($29.6 million) joint project to support the reform of China's pension system, the cooperation between the two sides is being consolidated.

The commissioner said the EU has knowledge and experience that can be of great value for the Chinese side in handling social affairs.

For example, China can learn from its European partner on how to integrate economic expansion with the creation of new jobs, he said.

"China has a phenomenal growth rate in economic expansion but the growth of new jobs is fairly weak," said Spidla.

"I think this is being done with some kind of success in Europe. The EU's economy grows at a rate of around 3 percent - definitely a meager one compared with China, but you find the unemployment is going down, and this is fine proof that our policy produced results," the commissioner added.

During Spidla's three-day visit, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the EU and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences - a key think tank for the Chinese government - to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

It will touch upon areas such as employment, social security, demography, social dialogue and labor relations.

The EU is also committed to helping train 360 MBA students from under-developed provinces and regions in China from this year. The bloc will provide 7.6 million euros to facilitate a program at China Europe International Business School, a top business school in China.

(China Daily 01/16/2008 page11)