HONG KONG -- China and the European Union, each rapidly growing in its own way, are poised to develop a closer relationship that encompasses virtually all spheres, including global politics and economic cooperation.
This is a natural development since both parties share a common desire to allow multilateral institutions, in particular the United Nations, to play a more prominent role in world affairs.
The U.S.-led war on Iraq last spring showed that major European countries -- with the obvious exception of Britain and Spain -- plus China and Russia wanted to prevent unilateral action by the United States.