🇨🇳🇪🇺 China-EU trade talks resume

The second round of China-EU economic and trade consultations will be held this week in Beijing, where EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic is set to hold two days of talks with Chinese officials from Thursday, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao. The discussions will focus on disputes including the trade surplus, but analysts do not expect a major breakthrough.

The talks have been stalled since June as Brussels hardens its position to defend domestic firms, arguing that European industries including autos face unfair competition from China. European officials and observers have increasingly framed the issue as a “China shock 2.0,” referring to the shift of Chinese firms from lower-end manufacturing into higher-technology sectors.

Ahead of the meeting, China’s commerce ministry on October 3 launched an anti-dumping investigation into EU chemical imports of para-nitrotoluene. The EU is also preparing a tool similar to Section 301 of the 1974 US Trade Act, drawing criticism and warning of retaliation from Beijing.

#China #EU

@asianomics