The President of the European Commission, Jacques Santer, has addressed economic and human rights issues in talks with China's senior leaders on the second day of his visit.

Mr Santer praised China for its stabilising role in the region's financial crisis -- and the Prime Minister of China, Zhu Rongji, said he hoped that the forthcoming introduction of the European single currency would help to settle world markets.

At a conference on womens' rights, Mr Santer stressed the change that meant the European Union could now, as part of its dialogue with China on human rights, openly raise its criticisms.