and shared best practices and to promote people-to-people exchanges; stresses that exchange of experts and students between both sides should be especially promoted; 16. Is concerned about practices of dumping and the lack of transparency with regard to Chinese government policies and subsidies through tax credits, land grants, cheap credit, subsidised raw materials and other measures; 17. Is worried about the obstacles European businesses experience on the Chinese market, such as forced technology transfers, weak IPR enforcement and discriminatory treatment; underlines the importance of market reform in China and of the implementation of market economy principles and the elimination of discrimination and unjustified restrictions; 18. Recognises the opportunities arising from Chinese investment in Europe in the framework of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI); underlines that, while the Fund is open to investment by a number of actors, it should nonetheless remain under EU governance; 19. Acknowledges the challenge of putting China’s economy on a truly sustainable path in the framework of the ‘New Normal’; believes that a more prominent participation of China in international economic organisations such as the IMF could positively contribute to more sustainable and balanced Chinese and global economies, as well as to the reform of those organisations; urges the Chinese authorities to provide reliable statistics and improve transparency on the state of the economy; 20. Notes with concern that in recent months the value of Chinese share indexes has dropped by a third and there have been hundreds of suspensions of trading owing to excessive falls in share prices; expresses its concern in regard to the current financial crisis that is striking China and especially its stock markets, and recognises that this poses a threat to the global economy given the country’s prominent role in global trade and the global financial system; urges the Chinese authorities to tackle the challenge of transitioning the current economic model to a sustainable economy; notes that the recent plunges on the stock markets in China have brought the government’s control culture face to face with the inherent volatility of the financial markets; 21. Welcomes the fact that over the last decades a considerable number of Chinese citizens have been lifted out of extreme poverty thanks to substantial economic growth and a gradual opening of the Chinese economy; voices, nonetheless, its concern that these economic improvements often cause environmental problems and great inequalities; 22. Welcomes the fact that in the recent EU-China Joint Statement on Climate Change, adopted at the 29 June 2015 summit, both sides expressed their commitment to work together to reach an ambitious and legally binding agreement at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015; urges all parties to the conference to build on the momentum created by the EU-China and US-China climate change statements; stresses the need to cooperate in the field of energy in order to tackle jointly the multiple challenges related to energy security and global energy architecture; Internal situation 23. Notes that under the leadership of President Xi, the Chinese government is showing a growing assertiveness both internally and externally; points out that the country’s civil