China News Service, Beijing, October 10 (Reporter Yin Qianyun) The second regular meeting of the China-EU Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism was held in Beijing from October 8 to 9. The two sides conducted reciprocal, professional and constructive talks on trade and investment balance, export control, intellectual property rights, WTO reform and other issues, and reached consensus on 16 outcomes.
Against the backdrop of the current complex and ever-changing international economic and trade environment and frequent economic and trade frictions, this China-EU dialogue has attracted much attention. Observations believe that the two sides have not only made progress on a number of specific economic and trade issues, but also sent a clear signal to manage differences through dialogue.
China and Europe are each other's important economic and trade partners, with close economic and trade ties and deep integration of industrial and supply chains. However, in recent years, the economic and trade relations between the two sides have faced some frictions and challenges, ranging from electric vehicle trade to market access and export controls. This time, the two sides reaffirmed the stable and balanced positioning of China and Europe as key trading partners, and confirmed that they will handle economic and trade differences and mutual concerns in a balanced manner within the framework of WTO rules, discuss deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote China-EU trade to be more balanced and develop forward.
The person in charge of the European Department of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said that the consensus reached by the two sides fully demonstrates that China and the EU have the will and wisdom to manage and properly handle differences through dialogue and negotiation, effectively avoiding the escalation of friction.
For China-EU economic and trade relations, which are huge and have intertwined interests, it is difficult to completely avoid differences. The key lies in whether effective communication channels can be established to prevent friction in a single area from spreading to a wider range. This time, both parties agreed that the mechanism operates smoothly and efficiently, and the successful convening of the second regular meeting is a new starting point, not the end.
Ding Chun, director of the Center for European Studies at Fudan University and president of the Shanghai European Society, believes that this shows that managing differences through institutionalized and normalized dialogue is becoming an important way for both sides to stabilize economic and trade relations.
The consensus list of outcomes released after the meeting showed that the two sides have made practical progress in many areas. In the area of automobile trade, which has attracted much attention, the two sides reached an understanding on the trade of hybrid vehicles in a manner consistent with WTO rules. The European side will also actively promote the relevant procedures for enterprise price commitments and review of electric vehicle cases.
The person in charge of the European Department of the Ministry of Commerce mentioned that the two sides had in-depth discussions on the trade of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, which prevented the situation from escalating and effectively safeguarded the actual export interests of Chinese companies and the stable development of China-Europe hybrid vehicle trade.
The automobile industry is an important area of economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe, and it has also been one of the focuses of trade frictions in recent years. Analysis pointed out that the progress in relevant consultations will help alleviate enterprises' concerns about trade policy uncertainty and create a more stable environment for industrial cooperation between the two sides.
In addition, the two sides agreed to continue to maintain communication and consultation on market access issues, gradually promote the resolution of mutual concerns such as medical devices, agricultural and food products, and inverter financing bans, and continue to promote the upward balance of China-EU trade; agreed to further strengthen the China-EU export control dialogue mechanism, continue to strengthen policy communication, promote the resolution of individual case concerns of both parties, and study the possibility of introducing facilitation measures; and agreed to conduct technical dialogue on the EU Foreign Subsidy Regulation (FSR).
Ding Chun said that although these arrangements need to be further implemented, they also show that the two sides are trying to respond to each other's concerns in a more pragmatic way and provide good communication opportunities for subsequent consultations.
In addition to resolving existing differences, China and Europe are also actively looking for new growth points for cooperation. According to reports, the two sides actively looked forward to future cooperation this time, believing that China and Europe have great potential for cooperation in the fields of new energy, artificial intelligence, service trade, digital economy, green and low carbon, and can further explore new opportunities and expand new space.
Experts also reminded that one consultation does not mean that all problems are solved, and promoting the implementation of practical results is still the key to follow-up work. According to arrangements between the two parties, the third regular meeting of the China-EU Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism will be held in March 2027. Prior to that, the two sides will maintain close communication at all levels, including a ministerial-level video conference in January. Ding Chun believes that this shows that China and the EU are willing to ease conflicts and take the positive attitude of paying attention to each other's concerns, indicating that China-EU economic and trade communication will maintain continuity and predictability in the future.
