ChinaEU Congratulates Antonio Tajani on his Election as EP President

(picture from: European Parliament)

Brussels, 18 January 2017 – ChinaEU congratulates MEP Antonio Tajani (PPE, Italy) on his election as President of the European Parliament and welcomes a him at the helm of the Institution representing Europe’s 500 million citizens. ChinaEU hails the election of Antonio Tajani as President because of his record of accomplishment in fostering the interests of the European industry and consumers. 

For example, ChinaEU remembers that in 2012, during his mandate as Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship, Antonio Tajani launched a campaign for a new industrial revolution in order to revamp Europe’s industry, saving jobs in the manufacturing industry and promote sustainable growth. Chinese investors played a crucial role in the success of this campaign, among others by investing in European manufacturing companies like Pirelli or Volvo, and are now continuing to contribute instrumentally to the digitization of the manufacturing industry.

Antonio Tajani has acknowledged the importance of China for Europe’s economic development.  2010 saw him in Beijing launching the Centre for European Union Small and Medium Enterprises (EU SME Centre). Funded by the European Commission, the SME Centre helps European SMEs overcome the challenges they face when operating on the Chinese market, in particular at their early stages of business development.  

This makes us think that Chinese President Xi Jinping may find an ally in Antonio Tajani when it comes to the adoption of the bilateral investment treaty, currently under discussion. The EU is among the favorite destinations of Chinese foreign direct investments, which totaled EUR 35 billion in 2016. Over the past decades, China has set up over 2000 companies across Europe, which directly employ more than 74,000 European staff. Once adopted, the bilateral investment treaty is set to boost in particular European investment in China. In the pipeline, there is also the intention to reach a bilateral free trade agreement, which according to estimations, would increase EU GDP by EUR 250 billion. Since the Lisbon Treaty, the European Parliament plays a strategic role in trade and investment matters, including foreign direct investment. The Parliament has the ultimate power of veto on trade agreements. 

Finally, ChinaEU remembers that if European consumers are no more confronted with 30 different types of mobile phone chargers, as was the case when Mr Tajani took on his job as Commission Vice President, we all have to thank him. At the time, Antonio Tajani convinced the mobile communications industry to adopt a common GSM charger, based on the ‘micro USB’ standard. Antonio Tajani proved that he can deliver positive changes to the EU consumers.

ChinaEU looks forward to cooperate with the new President of the European Parliament.

ChinaEU is a business-led International Association, with main seat in Brussels, set up as a forum to foster cooperation, trade and investment in digital products and services between China and Europe. ChinaEU’s aim is also to link the business community from China and the EU with high-level representatives of the European Institutions and the Chinese Government.