EU trade chief in China for talks

The European Commission’s top trade envoy, Maroš Šefčovič, is in China holding a two-day meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao amid trade tensions between Beijing and the European Union. The EU is looking to narrow its 360-billion-euro trade deficit with China. Earlier this year, he gave Beijing a deadline of October to provide meaningful results in doing so. On the eve of the talks in Beijing, the European Parliament voted 454-86 on a resolution to toughen up on China that centred on a call for “economic reciprocity and a proportionate EU response if China does not open its markets.” Earlier, a letter by France and Germany called for a sweeping rethink of the EU’s China policy. It proposed, among other actions, making it easier for the European Commission to use the bloc’s so-called “trade bazooka” – the anti-coercion instrument – to block or restrict trade and investment from countries found to be putting undue pressure on EU member nations or corporations. The Commerce Ministry said this week China hopes that France and Germany will uphold open cooperation and free trade, observe World Trade Organisation rules and refrain from encouraging the EU to resort to protectionist measures. A ministry spokesperson said protectionism cannot enhance competitiveness, and decoupling and cutting off supply chains will only harm others without benefiting oneself. (AP/Xinhua) Edited by Tony Sabine