European Parliament Trade Committee visits China, cautiously optimistic about EU-China trade

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) This delegation spanning multiple parties in the European Parliament visited three cities in China: Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai. Bernd Lange, Chairman of the Trade Committee and a German European Member of Parliament, said in a press release, "The world has changed dramatically since our last visit to China in 2018. Through this exchange, it is clear that China regards Europe as an important strategic partner."

In the recent EU-China trade friction, many European analysts and politicians believe that because Trump launched a trade war and China's own consumer market has been weak for a long time, a large number of Chinese goods are in urgent need of the EU consumer market, and this can become the EU's heavy weight in trade negotiations with China.

Just in early October, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and European Union Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, who was visiting Beijing, launched a new round of trade negotiations and reached compromises and consensus on issues such as restricting the growth of Chinese-made hybrid vehicles’ exports to Europe and the export of key rare earth materials. Two days before the consultation meeting, the European Parliament passed a tough resolution by a high vote, proposing that if China fails to open its market in a reciprocal manner, the EU will take corresponding countermeasures.

Lange, chairman of the European Parliament's Trade Committee, who is leading a visit to China this time, described the EU-China hybrid vehicle quota agreement as "a good start for stable and fair trade." He revealed that the delegation also made it clear to the Chinese side that "the European side expects other industries to follow this approach in the future, and hopes that existing commitments can be effectively implemented." Langer urged all parties to maintain this momentum and expressed his expectation that the continued consultations between the EU and China will achieve further results in March next year. “Confident and firm dialogue can help address existing conflicts in a solution-oriented manner and prevent escalation.”