Trade officials from the European Union (EU) and China have coordinated their positions on trade issues ahead of a bilateral summit scheduled for the 24th.
Maroš Šefčovič, the EU commissioner for trade and economic security, noted on the 22nd (local time) through the social media platform X that he held a video call with Wang Wentao, China's Minister of Commerce. Šefčovič evaluated the call as "important discussions," stating that the summit should serve as an opportunity to build a balanced partnership based on fair competition and enhance predictability and trust.
The EU-China summit scheduled for the 24th will see Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, and António Costa, the permanent chair of the EU summit, visit Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
The summit has been reduced from a two-day schedule to one day. Key issues at the meeting are expected to include China's export restrictions on rare earth elements and the EU's imposition of high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.