From 2013 to 2020, the Ch坐畫ina-EU Comprehensive Inve化多stment Agreement, which筆船 has been negotiated 暗線for seven years, finally ca習科me into effect, which is a ma草那jor event between China and Europ國如e.

The China-EU Comprehensi船鐘ve Investment Agreem湖遠ent is one of the toughest nego劇市tiations between China an林動d Europe. Let's see how difficul章讀t it is.

1. The seven-year itch or the seve鄉中n-year joy?

The China-EU Comprehensive Invest舞不ment Agreement is a long st爸什ory, and the starting po物司int is still 2013. In October 兒老2013, the EU Council commissi事計oned the European Commission to nego呢地tiate an investment agreem器舊ent with China on behalf of the EU, an飛什d the EU-China Investment Agreement neg錢用otiations were announce子紙d for the first time.

The first round of negotiations麗外 was held in January 2014, and the 著樹round and round progr下去ess of the negotiation報子s lasted for 6 years志藍. Until recently, there was n劇懂o news that the EU and C睡黃hina would reach an agreemen制喝t. The whole process was nea了日rly 7 years.

People have a seven-現外year itch, and the seven y熱鐘ears between China and the EU have had雜到 twists and turns. However, with th也歌e rapid development of自民 China's economy, there is no doubt th哥視at the bilateral relations between Chi對看na and the EU have grown by lea雪分ps and bounds. This is also the basis化煙 for the continuous advancemen美市t of the China-EU Comprehensi窗慢ve Investment Agreement.

Today, the results of the China-EU Com畫計prehensive Investment Agreement 自計were announced, which is a j黑遠oy!

2. After 35 rounds of talks, wh山美at is the difficulty?

As of the beginning of t能很his month, in the past seven yea能著rs, China and the EU have con你話ducted 35 rounds of negotiations for 少林this agreement, and it is self討現-evident that the middle 訊看is difficult. People who don't 西友know will ask: Where is the diffic從要ulty?

This starts with the 花樹content of the negotia國愛tion. As early as when the two sid很物es first started negotiating,分司 the name of the agreement was actuall東我y the China-EU BIT, whic但業h is the "China-EU Investm懂校ent Agreement".

Since the 24th round of n區公egotiations, both China and the EU hav離妹e found that the scope of the綠冷 negotiations is getting wid近報er and wider, so they changed the 議裡name to the "China-EU 上兒Comprehensive Investment Agreement".章國 The difference between them讀會 lies in the addition of the word 吧得"comprehensive".

Why is the word "comprehensive" adde市劇d? The so-called BIT inve短著stment agreement is mainly aimed a白章t trade disputes and i相和nvestment disputes. With the rapid dev西道elopment of China, great 地那changes have taken pl數資ace in attracting foreign investment a資上nd foreign direct investment. An i影短nvestment agreement cannot solv雜笑e the problem. At this point, a舊金 comprehensive investment agreement河長 is in place.

Because it is comprehensive, there are在電 many concerns, many q司技uestions, and a lot to talk abou數動t. The EU has always com廠熱plained that China has not fulfilled 那高its promise to lift restrictio還窗ns on EU investment, and C我理hina has its own ideas on EU restr線議ictions on Chinese investment. For Chi低輛na and the European Union, two 遠也of the world's most important房玩 economies, reaching an了自 agreement will not happen ov道來ernight.

3. What do China and the EU玩看 think?

For China, the significanc雨短e of this agreement is坐分 no trivial matter. If successfull購影y signed, it will be th電河e first comprehensive an票音d comprehensive inve舞話stment protection agreement conclu醫要ded by China, which mainly covers大個 four aspects: inves電水tment liberalization, investment protec年謝tion, dispute settlement and 樂木sustainable development.媽農

For the EU, the successful signing of t一機his agreement means t拿站hat the EU's benefits in Chi要很na, the world's largest market, h訊下ave increased. This is undoubtedly要亮 a good thing for the 27 member state那們s of the EU. An EU diplomat said 些這no member state wante業呢d to stop and all delegates were h他吃appy with the new progress in the 土物talks.

Of course, there are still intern算鐵al disputes, and the European C制紙ommission also admits: "This is n樂木ot a perfect deal."

Speaking of which, I hav學關e to thank Germany. As the locomot制刀ive and big brother of the EU, Ge作湖rmany's attitude is very important.

Many Europeans believe that this 東愛negotiation, in fact, is術些 mainly a negotiation 技弟between China and Germany, ma件為inly held between Beijing and B錢東erlin. At a critical moment, Germany's 店拍message to the EU is that, from the p月計erspective of the future, si公吃gning an agreement now wil報樂l be the best condition China has giv兒了en to Europe.

Among them, the most山近 important force supporting 理多China is German Chancellor Angela 你朋Merkel. Sources within Germany say t光放hat, thanks to Germany's effor大現ts, "the road to politica信但l support has been paved" for the in亮懂vestment pact. This has two meaning了我s: First, as the rota照到ting presidency of the Euro藍我pean Council, Germany's term of offic鐵外e has come to a successful 西煙end. Second, Merkel, who is about t錢請o end her last term 喝森in office, has finally paid off 店街for her tireless work on the agreement.商如

During her tenure in offic湖窗e, Merkel visited China 12 times, w匠去ith the shortest interva費山l being less than 3 months明吃. Such visits to China are電相 rare in the world or in Europe. As a r呢綠esult, Merkel has a bet技這ter understanding of China's d喝呢evelopment and is more able to see 飛農the opportunities Chin紅老a's development brings間那 to Europe.