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Xiaofei Xu

Beijing and Brussels remain “deadlocked” on trade in medical devices following discussions in Beijing this week, a source said, adding that “intensive consultations” were under way about Brussels’ plan to launch import safeguards against made-in-China plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
Vice-Minister of Commerce Ling Ji – China’s deputy international trade representative – held discussions with Ditte Juul Jorgensen, the European Commission’s director general for trade and economic security, on Wednesday and Thursday in preparation for a second round of trade talks, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement issued on Thursday.
The European Commission declined to comment, while China’s commerce ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The public procurement of medical devices and imports of Chinese PHEVs have been points of tension between Beijing and Brussels.
The European Union barred Chinese medical device companies from bidding for public tenders worth more than €5 million (US$5.7 million) for five years in June last year after it said an investigation found “clear evidence” of Chinese discrimination against European firms in limiting EU medical device producers’ access to government contracts in China.
The following month, China excluded EU companies without operations in China from government medical device contracts valued at more than 45 million yuan (US$6.7 million).
German business daily Handelsblatt reported in June that the European Commission was preparing to impose anti-subsidy duties on PHEVs imported from China. And this month, the Financial Times reported 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 Ministry of Commerce said such a measure would “seriously violate” World Trade Organization rules.
Europe must stand firm and be able to use trade defence instruments … but this must not become a vicious circle
Nicolas Forissier, French Trade Minister
Two Chinese sources recently described talks with Brussels as “difficult” and expressed their frustration at what they said was the EU’s inflexibility and unwillingness to make compromises.
Meanwhile, France – one of the most outspoken champions of protectionist measures aimed at reining in Europe’s rising trade deficit with China – expressed its willingness to reach a deal with Beijing, while reiterating its stance that the EU had a legitimate right to safeguard its market in a changing geopolitical context.
“Europe must stand firm and be able to use trade defence instruments when justified, anti-dumping in particular, as it has done in the past, but this must not become a vicious circle,” French Trade Minister Nicolas Forissier told journalists on Thursday.
He described France’s position as a “partnership proposal” and stressed the need to return to a “more cooperative partnership-based” approach to trade to avoid a situation that would be destructive for everyone.
With China, as with the EU’s other trade partners, France was open to building partnerships that were win-win for both sides and which would involve concessions, Forissier said, adding that he believed China was also open to reaching long-term compromises.
“We do not want to wage a trade war,” he said.


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Sources on the Chinese side recently described the talks as difficult and expressed frustration over the EU’s inflexibility


Sources on the Chinese side recently described the talks as difficult and expressed frustration over the EU’s inflexibility.


China and EU deadlocked on medical devices, still talking on PHEV curbs: source

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Sources on the Chinese side recently described the talks as difficult and expressed frustration over the EU’s inflexibility

Sources on the Chinese side recently described the talks as difficult and expressed frustration over the EU’s inflexibility