EU, China to hold Beijing talks to avert trade war
Summary
The EU is sending trade chief Maros Sefcovic to Beijing for high-stakes talks aimed at avoiding a trade war and reducing the bloc’s swelling deficit with China. Brussels is also preparing tougher trade-defence tools as tensions rise over Chinese exports, rare earths and unfair competition concerns.
Key Points
- EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic will travel to Beijing for two days of talks with Chinese officials to try to prevent a trade war.
- Brussels wants China to curb export surges into the EU, especially in critical sectors such as cars, machinery, textiles and chemicals.
- The EU is preparing new trade-defence tools, while China has warned it will retaliate against any discriminatory measures.
- Analysts say the meetings may yield only limited agreements, with broader tensions between the EU and China likely to continue.
