Top EU official takes social welfare mission to China
BRUSSELS (AFP) — The EU's top social affairs official headed for Beijing on Friday to champion improved social welfare and worker protection, the European Commission said.
Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimir Spidla is to sign an agreement with China to promote discussion about social security, notably the issues of employment, social policy and demographic ageing.
"If we talk to them about health and safety at work, about social security and they see themselves that there is a necessity to change things in order to have a sustainable economy in the long-term that will also decrease possibilities for social dumping," said Spidla before his departure from Brussels.
"The Chinese can copy very well. If they decide to copy the European pension model it means they consider it to be the best," he added.
"Social dumping" is a term used to describe a country with weak labour and safety standards that exports goods to a country with more stringent protection and legislation.
The EU-China agreement to be signed by Spidla, who arrives in the Chinese capital on Saturday, is to set up a dialogue with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences think-tank.
The focus will be on "long-term trends and challenges," according to the EU's executive arm. Spidla said the aim was to develop "modern systems of social security."
"The EU and China face a number of very similar challenges in the fields of employment and social policy, from creating safe workplaces to adapting our societies to an ageing population," added Spidla.
"I'm very pleased to take our existing dialogue a step further with this new agreement covering crucial issues affecting millions of people in China and in Europe.
"We hope in our dialogue to help China to develop modern systems of social security."
Spidla plans to fly on from China to Japan for talks in Tokyo and Kyoto.
