Syria, human rights, development on agenda for first EU summit with new Chinese leadership
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The conflict in Syria, human rights and a range of trade and development issues will be on the agenda for the European Union's first summit with China's new leadership on Thursday.
EU President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso will lead the delegation in talks with the Chinese side, headed by Premier Li Keqiang. The summit is the 16th between the sides, but the first since Li and President Xi Jinping took up their government positions in March.
An EU news release said the Syria conflict would be included in talks on security cooperation among the world's top economies.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}China, which recently won a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council, has been criticized for supporting Syria's government, and for its own domestic rights record.