EU-China summit on 8 December

On Wednesday, 8 December, Mr. Wen Jiabao, the Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China will visit the Netherlands for the annual summit meeting between the European Union and China.

Mr. Wen Jiabao will be received by the Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende representing the Presidency of the European Union. The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Durao Barroso, the EU’s High Representative Javier Solana, European Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bernard Bot, will also attend the Summit.

This is the seventh summit meeting between the EU and China. In addition to EU-China relations, the agenda will also include a broad range of regional and international issues of common interest, the purpose of which is to raise the relationship between the EU and China to a higher level.

The meeting will take place at the Binnenhof government complex in The Hague.

Programme (provisional)

8.15 hrs Arrival of EC-president Barroso, HR Solana, Eurocommissioner Ferrero-Waldner and minister Bot of Foreign Affairs
Binnenhof 20, The Hague
Photo opportunity

9.10 hrs Arrival of Premier Wen Jiabao of the People’s Republic of China
Welcome by Prime Minister Balkenende
Binnenhof 20,The Hague
Photo opportunity

9.20 hrs  Family photo
Main entrance Ridderzaal (Binnenhof, The Hague)

9.30 - 11.30 hrs Plenary session
Ridderzaal (Binnenhof, The Hague)
Photo opportunity: ‘tour de table’ (pool)

11.35 hrs Signing ceremony
‘Oude Zaal’, Parliament (Binnenhof, The Hague)
Photo opportunity

12.00-12.30 hrs Press conference
‘Oude Zaal’, (Binnenhof, The Hague)

12.30 - 13.45 hrs Lunch. No press facilities

The Summit will be followed on the morning of Thursday, 9 December by a EU-China business summit. For more information, please consult www.eu-chinasummit.nl

Accreditation

Media access to the Binnenhof complex (including the press centre) will be reserved for accredited individuals only.

Please consult the website www.eu2004.nl for general accreditation procedures.

More information will be made available on the Presidency’s website shortly.