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EU trade chief swipes at China’s overcapacity, but seeks ‘meaningful’ talks with Beijing EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic has called for practical approaches and “meaningful discussion” to tackle the growing trade concerns between Brussels and Beijing, following his meeting with China’s chief international trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, on the sideline of a ministerial meeting at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. Sefcovic opened his press conference on Thursday by stressing the urgency of crafting policy responses to the non-market practices...

China-EU joint statement on trade China and the European Union released a joint statement on Monday following talks between China’s Minister of Commerce, Wang Wentao, and the EU’s trade chief, Maros Sefcovic, in Brussels. During the meeting, the two sides agreed to establish a joint platform to monitor trade flows and to set up working groups to ease bilateral economic tensions. EU-China Joint Statement by scmp

China signals openness to reducing gaping EU trade surplus as Brussels toughens stance China told the European Union that it is open to exploring ways to cut its massive trade surplus with the bloc during talks in Brussels on Monday, according to multiple people briefed on the discussion. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao signalled to EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic that China was willing to consider purchase agreements covering European goods. The discussions touched on lowering tariffs on EU-made goods, in a rare sign that China recognises that its billion-euro a day trade...

EU Trade Chief Seeks Results in China Talks by October 2025 Published byGlobal Banking & Finance Review Posted on June 29, 2026 · Last updated: June 29, 2026 BRUSSELS, June 29 (Reuters) - EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic, who met China's commerce minister Wang Wentao in Brussels on Monday, said he wanted talks on trade to yield tangible results by October, during a scheduled trip to Beijing. Talks were "intensive, focused and constructive," he told reporters on Monday, adding both national delegations will keep talking during the evening. "We think that between now and October, our teams have sufficient time to deliver tangible results," he said. Wang invited him to travel to Beijing in October. Sefcovic insisted the EU wants the talks to address the widening trade gap. "China's exports to the EU keep rising, while our market share in China keeps shrinking. This trend is not sustainable and the status quo is not an option," he said. He said both sides set up groups to discuss trade balance, export controls, intellectual property and WTO reform. The assurances given by China that rare earth controls will not disrupt EU supply chains is positive, he said. European Union leade…

Europe tries to take on China without launching a new trade war At a meeting Thursday in Brussels, the bloc’s leaders are expected to discuss how to handle upcoming trade talks with Beijing.

EU, China trade tensions loom over minister visit BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) - Europe and China were seeking to gauge Monday whether trade frictions can be resolved without a fight, as top EU trade official Maros Sefcovic hosts his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao in Brussels for day-long talks.

EU trade chief sets October deadline to resolve China deficit row The EU’s trade chief has set an October deadline to resolve a shopping list of trade disputes between Brussels and Beijing following talks with China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao on Monday (29 June). The meeting was billed as the first of a planned series of trade and investment consultations between the EU and China and would seek to “stabilise and make our bilateral relationship more balanced”, Maros Sefcovic and Wentao said in a joint statement. They also agreed to establish four “workstreams” on trade and investment balancing, export controls, intellectual property rights and WTO reform. Ahead of the talks, China had warned that it was prepared to suspend economic and trade relations with the EU if negotiations continue without tangible results, according to China’s state broadcaster. And the need for “tangible results” was repeated by Sefcovic who said that the meeting had been needed to “avoid unnecessary tensions”. He described the talks, which continue into the evening, as “positive” and “very constructive”. “The EU remains open for business. But we need to defend our industrial base and keep pushing for …

The EU and China should continue to talk to each other, a leading MEP said today, even if tensions concerning overcapacity and subsidies remain front and centre. An EU diplomat also confirmed that China will be a focus of talks at next week's EU summit borderlex.net/2026/06/11/k...

Transatlantic rift is not a temporary blip - Chinadaily.com.cn Speaking on Tuesday with visiting Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, who is now in Beijing for the second China-Portugal strategic dialogue at the foreign ministers' level, Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that "China regards Europe as an important pole in a multipolar world". China-European Union relations, which had been strained in recent years mainly due to Brussels embracing the previous US administration's hawkish stance on Beijing to curry favor with the United States, are seeing signs of warming-up lately — with high-level European officials either speaking positively about the mutually beneficial relationship or visiting the country to seek closer ties. Apart from Rangel, the French foreign minister and Italy's Senate president are also scheduled to visit China and meet with top Chinese officials this week.

China-EU trade, Xi touts ‘global influence’, Nato summit China told the European Union that it is willing to increase purchases of EU goods to help pare a massive trade gap, potentially easing the risk of a trade war. Commerce Minister Wang Wentao suggested that China is open to purchase agreements covering European goods in trade talks this week with EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified people briefed on the discussions. Lower tariffs on EU imports were also discussed (see trade talks joint...

EU and China set for Paris talks this week amid mounting trade war fears EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic will meet China’s international trade envoy Li Chenggang in Paris on Thursday, as the sides look to defuse tensions that have pushed them to the brink of a trade war. The officials will meet on the sidelines of an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ministerial summit, setting the stage for a month of intensified engagement ahead of Commerce Minister Wang Wentao’s visit to Brussels on June 28 and 29, according to people familiar with the...

EU sets October deadline to get 'tangible' results with China By Peggy Corlin Published on 29/06/2026 - 19:00 GMT+2 Share Comments Add Euronews on Google Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp As EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič met his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao in Brussels on Monday, he said he would travel to China this autumn. Germany’s trade Minister Katherina Reiche also met Wentao, with her ministry calling on Beijing to ensure “a level playing field". EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said on Monday that the EU will seek to achieve "tangible" results through dialogue with China by October. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Šefčovič was meeting his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, in Brussels that same day for talks that were due to continue into the evening. Tensions between Brussels and Beijing have ramped up in recent weeks after China repeatedly threatened to retaliate against EU moves to protect its market from Chinese overcapacity. “Today's discussions were intensive, focused, and constructive,” Šefčovič told reporters between rounds of discussions with Wentao. "My objective from the outset has been …

Beijing says China-EU trade talks set in the fall, to be held regularly each year HONG KONG (AP) -- China and the European Union will hold ministerial-level trade talks once or twice a year, China's Commerce Ministry said Thursday,

EU sets up three months of talks with China over €360bn trade deficit <p>Two sides agree to try to make bilateral relationship ‘more balanced’ after weeks of threats</p><p>The EU and China have agreed to enter three months of talks to try to avoid a trade war over the bloc’s €360bn (£310bn) annual import/export imbalance.</p><p>In their first joint statement in seven years, the two sides agreed in Brussels to open a formal trade consultation after weeks of threats and recriminations from China if the EU imposed any measures to stop the flood of goods and components into the bloc.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/29/eu-sets-up-three-months-of-talks-with-china-over-360bn-trade-deficit">Continue reading...</a>

EU, China hold talks as trade war looms The EU and China were due to hold talks to defuse escalating trade tensions after Europe voted last week to adopt a tough new approach. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic was set to meet China’s top trade envoy, Li Chenggang, on the sidelines of an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) meeting on Thursday, the South China Morning Post reported. Talks will focus on establishing a new platform to discuss trade and investment issues and will pave the way for Chinese Commerce...

EU and China launch trade talks to manage frictions and rebalance ... Brussels, 29 June 2026 The EU and China have held the first ministerial-level Trade and Investment Consultations in Brussels, agreeing to work on trade and investment balancing, export controls, intellectual property rights and WTO reform, while setting up a joint monitoring mechanism to improve transparency, track trade flows and address market access concerns. Joint press statement by Commissioner Šefčovič and Minister Wang On 29 th June 2026, Maros Šefčovič , European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security and Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency, and Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, held the first meeting of the EU-China Trade and Investment Consultations (TIC) in Brussels. The EU and China as key trade partners, agree that the main objective of the TIC is to strengthen dialogue at ministerial level on trade and investment policies with the view to stabilise and make our bilateral relationship more balanced. During the first meeting of the TIC, the EU and noted the importance of addressing the challenges affecting the bilateral trade relationship and agreed …