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Xiaofei Xu

The next round of China-EU trade talks is set to take place in Beijing from October 8 to 9, Brussels announced on Thursday following a video call between European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, adding that Europe wanted to see a “credible” outcome.
The European Commission said that during a call lasting more than an hour, the two sides reviewed “extensive work” carried out at senior-official level covering issues including the management of Chinese exports to Europe, European firms’ access to the Chinese market and China’s export controls on rare earths.
Brussels said it was important that the first concrete outcomes be delivered at the second round of talks under the EU-China Trade and Investment Consultations framework next month, which would signal that both sides were “moving from rhetoric to results”.
“That outcome needs to be credible,” the European Commission said in a statement, adding that a European team would travel to Beijing for preparatory work later this month.
The Commerce Ministry in Beijing released a one-line statement that said Wang held a video meeting with Sefcovic at the latter’s request.
The Financial Times reported on Thursday that Brussels was seeking a commitment from Beijing to restrict sales of made-in-China hybrid vehicles to about 15 per cent of the EU market. The bloc also wanted China to apply similar policies in several other sectors, such as chemicals, and buy more EU exports, it said.
The European Commission did not reply to a request for confirmation of the report.
China urges the EU to abide by WTO rules, keep its market open [and] amend the discriminatory provisions
He Yadong, Ministry of Commerce
A Chinese source said Beijing was frustrated by Brussels’ unwillingness to make any compromises over the summer – before an EU team travelled to China at the end of last month.
Ministry of Commerce officials were annoyed by the EU’s approach, the source said, viewing it as no way to run a negotiation.
During European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s state-of-the-union speech on Wednesday, she warned that a “second China shock” was already affecting Europe and vowed that Brussels would use all available tools to rebalance its trade relationship with the country.
At a news conference on Thursday, Ministry of Commerce spokesman He Yadong said China would not engage in “megaphone diplomacy”, nor would it participate in a “war of words” with the EU.
He said the EU had rolled out legislation this year – including an amendment to the Cybersecurity Act, the Industrial Accelerator Act and the Public Procurement Act – that would introduce “discriminatory provisions, and continuously tightening market-access conditions”.
“China urges the EU to abide by WTO rules, keep its market open, amend the discriminatory provisions … and create a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment for enterprises investing and operating in Europe,” He said. “China will closely monitor the EU’s legislative process and evaluate the relevant impact in a timely manner.”


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October 8-9 schedule revealed after video call between European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao


October 8-9 schedule revealed after video call between European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.


Brussels announces dates for second round of China-EU trade talks in Beijing next month

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}October 8-9 schedule revealed after video call between European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao

October 8-9 schedule revealed after video call between European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao