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EU-China Trade Talks Continue Amidst Tensions and Potential Measures
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Economy & Trade

EU-China Trade Talks Continue Amidst Tensions and Potential Measures

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • The European Commission stated that its dialogue with China continues on multiple levels, despite ongoing trade tensions.
  • China reportedly canceled two high-level meetings in Beijing in protest against potential EU trade measures.
  • The EU is considering new trade actions to protect its industry, while China warns of retaliation against perceived discriminatory practices.

Brussels confirmed that high-level contacts with Beijing are ongoing, even as the European Commission weighs new trade measures against China to safeguard its domestic industry. The EU stressed that while dialogue persists across various levels, it is imperative for these discussions to yield tangible results.

This statement comes amid reports that China has canceled two significant meetings in Beijing. These cancellations are understood to be a protest against the EU's potential trade actions. The meetings reportedly involved discussions on digital issues at a ministerial level and a separate session with the EU's deputy secretary-general for the diplomatic service.

We continue (to maintain) our contacts with China at various levels. Dialogue must yield results and this is our priority.

— Olof GillOlof Gill, spokesperson for Trade of the European Commission, emphasizing the need for productive dialogue.

Olof Gill, the European Commission's trade spokesperson, reiterated the importance of dialogue producing outcomes. He referenced a recent meeting in Brussels between China's Vice Minister of Commerce, Ling Ji, and the Director-General for Trade of the European Commission, Ditte Juul Jorgensen, aimed at exchanging views and preparing for future EU-China engagements.

Further discussions are anticipated later in June when China's Commerce Minister, Wang Wentao, is scheduled to meet with his EU counterpart, Maros Sefcovic, in Brussels. The trade relationship between the EU and China has become increasingly strained, marked by previous EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and recent measures like the Industrial Acceleration Act and Cybersecurity Law, which favor European companies and could restrict Chinese firms like Huawei and ZTE from critical infrastructure projects. Beijing has warned of retaliatory measures if these perceived discriminatory practices are not withdrawn.

The relationship between the EU and Beijing has become strained in recent times, with measures such as the tariffs that Brussels imposed two years ago on Chinese electric vehicles to protect its automotive industry.

— EFEDescribing the recent tensions in EU-China trade relations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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