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Josephine Ma

HK reform is also likely to be discussed during the premier's five-country visit

Trade promotion, the European Union's arms embargo and Hong Kong's political reforms will be high on the agenda when Premier Wen Jiabao  visits five EU countries next month.

He will lead a delegation including Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing,  State Development and Reform Commission chairman Ma Kai and Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai  on the 11-day visit to Munich, Berlin, the EU headquarters in Brussels, Rome, Florence, London and Dublin, which begins next Sunday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui  said yesterday that EU-China relations had never been better.

Mr Wen - who will be making his first trip to Europe since becoming premier last year - is expected to hold talks with European Commission President Romano Prodi and EU foreign affairs and security chief Javier Solana.

He is expected to praise EU enlargement. Trade pacts and co-operation agreements will also be signed, and Mr Wen will address businessmen and lead tours of companies, farms and schools.

Mr Zhang said the premier would lobby the EU to lift its decade-old arms embargo on the mainland and try to persuade the bloc to remove another barrier to weapons exports - its code of conduct on arms sales.

'If they are willing to sell the arms, we are willing to buy them,' Mr Zhang said. But a Foreign Ministry official said it was unlikely an announcement on lifting the embargo would be made during Mr Wen's trip. 'The time is not ripe yet,' the official said.

While in Germany, Mr Wen would urge his hosts to ban activities of Xinjiang separatist groups, Mr Zhang said. 'We will have very specific proposals,' he said.

China has urged Germany to halt a scheduled meeting in Munich by Uygur separatist groups, which China considers terrorist organisations.

Challenges to China's human rights record are likely to be raised during the trip. Mr Zhang said China planned to hold a seminar in Europe on human rights in June to 'exchange views' on the issue.

Mr Zhang said Hong Kong's political reform and the NPC Standing Committee's Basic Law interpretation were expected to come up in Mr Wen's talks with UK officials. The minister said Mr Wen was likely to reiterate that 'one country, two systems' was working well.



Wen targets arms ban, trade in EU mission