May 10: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao officially visited the UK and met with
British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Both governments decided to establish a
China-UK comprehensive strategic partnership.
May 11: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Ireland and held talks with Irish
Prime Minister Bertie Ahern.
May 26: China and the EU held the 5th high-level consultation concerning the
crackdown on illegal immigration and human trafficking in Brussels.
May 28: The European Commission announced that the EU and China had
reached an agreement regarding coke trade.
June 8: Chinese President Hu Jintao kicked off a two-day State visit to Poland.
During this visit, both sides decided to establish a China-Poland friendly
cooperation partnership and released a joint declaration.
June 10: Chinese President Hu Jintao kicked off a two-day State visit to
Hungary. During this visit, the two sides decided to establish a China-Hungary
friendly cooperation partnership and released a joint declaration.
June 12: Chinese President Hu Jintao kicked off a two-day State visit to
Romania. During this visit, the two sides decided to establish a China-Romania
comprehensive friendly cooperation partnership.
September 24: The 18th China-EU Human Rights Dialogue was held in Beijing.
October 8: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao delivered a speech at the 5th Asia-Europe
Summit in Hanoi. Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Li Zhaoxing, Bernard Rudolf
Bot, Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister of the Netherlands—current EU Presidency,
Jean Asselborn, Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of Luxembourg
—Presidency-elect and the person in charge of the European Commission held
China-EU Foreign Affairs Ministers’Political Consultations in Hanoi.▲French President Chirac kicked off a four-day State visit to China and par-
ticipated in the Year of French Culture opening activity.October 9: China and the EU signed theChina-EU Galileo Project Technology
Cooperation Agreement.
October 10: The Year of French Culture was opened in Beijing.
October 18: In Beijing, the European Commission announced that the EU had
lifted the ban on shrimps, culturedfish, honey, royal jelly, rabbit meat and some
other animal-derived foods exported from China to the EU.
November 11: The 3rd China-EU Forum was held at Stockholm University,
Sweden.
November 30: The 2nd China-Spain Forum was held in Barcelona, Spain.
December 3: Chairman of China’s NPC Standing Committee, Wu Bangguo, met
with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in
Beijing.
December 4: Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi kicked off a six-day State
visit to China.
December 6: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held talks with German Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.230 Appendix: Chronicle of Events over Ten Years (January, 2003–September, 2013)