EU trade chief to visit Beijing on Oct 8-9 to tackle tensions
The 27-nation bloc is deeply concerned about a trade imbalance damaging key European industries.
EU Trade Chief Maros Sefcovic is set to meet with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Beijing on October 8-9 to address escalating tensions. During the talks, the two will discuss the management of Chinese exports to the EU, Europe's access to the Chinese market, and export controls on rare earths. The EU is concerned about the trade imbalance with China, which has had a negative impact on key European industries.
The 27-nation bloc has tasked the European Commission with tackling these frictions through dialogue. Sefcovic, who is leading the discussions, recently spoke via video call with Wang to review progress from the summer talks. EU spokesman Olof Gill highlighted the priority areas of the talks, emphasizing the need for concrete outcomes at the upcoming Trade and Investment Council.
The EU imported goods worth around €360 billion from China in 2025, indicating a significant trade deficit. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has warned Beijing that the bloc will employ all available tools to rebalance its trade relationship with China.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
