EU officials come to China for consultations, China calls for equal dialogue, pressure on China does not help alleviate economic and trade differences between China and Europe

The European Union and China are engaged in key trade negotiations, "reported by media outlets such as Radio France Internationale on the 8th, referring to the visit of European Commission Trade and Economic Security Commissioner Shevchovic to China. On that day, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao met with Xie Fuqiovic in Beijing. European public opinion repeatedly emphasizes two points: the EU's trade deficit with China has widened to about 1 billion euros per day, and the sales of Chinese hybrid cars in the European market have surged. The EU hopes to negotiate with China on these issues. In recent days, Europe has been eagerly anticipating and urging pressure on economic and trade issues with China. France and Germany submitted an informal document to the European Commission on the 5th, requesting new powers to restrict or even cancel access to the European single market for countries deemed to be "disrupting trade relations", which is considered "targeting China". On the 7th, the European Parliament passed a resolution urging the EU to use economic tools to pressure China. Jian Junbo, Director of the China Europe Relations Research Center at Fudan University, told Global Times reporters on the 8th that the European side should recognize that the consultation mechanism is not a platform for unilateral demands, and the effectiveness of the conference cannot be measured by whether the European side benefits unilaterally. Bloomberg quoted Chinese experts as saying bluntly that Europe's actions are a strategy of exerting pressure and increasing demands outside the negotiating table, and China's position is clear and firm, with sufficient means to respond.

European public opinion emphasizes' critical stage '

All parties have high hopes for Shevchovich's visit to China, "said German television channel One on the 8th. After the end of China's National Day holiday, normal office work resumed on the same day, and receiving the EU trade delegation was one of the top priorities on the agenda.

The European News Network stated that the next 10 days are crucial for the relationship between the European Union and China. Shevchovich's visit to China aims to rebalance the trade relations between Europe and China, achieve "tangible, meaningful, and measurable" results, and submit them to the EU Leaders' Summit on October 15-16. China is expected to be the main topic of discussion at this summit. The relationship between the EU and China is entering a critical stage, with the European Commission setting October as the deadline for achieving "tangible" results with China.

On June 29th this year, Wang Wentao co chaired the first meeting of the China Europe Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism with Shevchovich at the EU headquarters. The two sides had comprehensive, in-depth, and constructive discussions on important economic and trade issues between China and Europe, and confirmed the formal establishment of the China Europe Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism. Shevchovich's trip to China is considered the second meeting of this mechanism. Agence France Presse reported that the EU is seeking to ease tensions with China by holding talks on how both sides can avoid falling into a mutually damaging trade war.

On the first day of his trip to China, the goal was clear: to balance the unsustainable trade deficit between the European Union and China. "According to a report by the Financial Times on the 7th, after the EU imposed high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, sales of Chinese made hybrid cars in Europe increased significantly. The EU demanded that China voluntarily restrict the export of such cars, but was rejected by China. Bloomberg reported that the EU plans to "take matters into its own hands" by restricting the entry of Chinese hybrid vehicles into the EU market in order to narrow the trade deficit. According to the German newspaper "Handelsblatt," a senior EU diplomat said, "Unlike the United States, which first imposed tough tariffs and then had to negotiate (with China), Europe hopes to negotiate first and reach an agreement without escalating the conflict

On the 8th, CNBC website stated that Europe was once the engine of the global automotive market. But now, it is attempting to close the floodgates of this completely disrupted industry. Similar to the automotive industry, some voices within the EU attribute many of its economic problems to competition from China. European News Network claims that after more than 20 years of rapid economic development in China, a new round of competition has put pressure on the industrial base of the European Union.

There are also voices in Europe that believe that internal diseases should not be treated externally. The report released by BNP Paribas on October 5th pointed out that trade rebalancing cannot be achieved solely through trade means. When dealing with the challenges posed by China's increasing strength, Europe cannot limit itself to bilateral trade balance issues, otherwise it may repeat the mistakes of the US government. In 2025, the US government will consider the bilateral trade deficit as the core of tariff policy, and even use it as the standard to measure everything. The report suggests that in order to truly address the EU's trade imbalance, efforts need to be made in other areas, with two particularly crucial aspects. The first is research and development investment. In recent years, the gap in research and development investment between Europe and China has significantly widened. The second is to deepen the construction of the European single market. This is directly related to whether European companies can form the economies of scale enjoyed by large Chinese leading enterprises. Europe must drive transformation internally, significantly increase investment, expand economies of scale, and promote diversification of export markets.

China is not the root of the problems faced by the EU, but a partner in solving them

Jian Junbo, Director of the China Europe Relations Research Center at Fudan University, told Global Times reporters that as the world's two largest economies, it is normal for China and the EU to have some differences and frictions in economic and trade exchanges, but both sides should always adhere to resolving problems through dialogue and consultation, rather than resorting to unilateral trade measures. The consultation mechanism should become a platform for both sides to respond to each other's concerns and seek mutually beneficial solutions through dialogue. Therefore, this meeting should not be seen as the end point, but rather as the starting point for China and Europe to resolve differences, build consensus, and strengthen cooperation.

Jian Junbo stated that the economic problems of the European side are caused by multiple factors, including cumbersome internal regulatory rules, insufficient innovation, fragmented single market, and high energy prices. It is not enough to rely solely on the China EU consultation mechanism to solve the internal problems of the European side. China is not the root cause of the problems faced by the EU, but a partner in solving them.

Regarding the issue of the so-called EU trade deficit with China, according to Chinese statistics, China's service trade deficit with Europe will reach 48.3 billion US dollars in 2025, with the EU being the largest source of China's service trade deficit. A large part of China Europe trade is achieved by European enterprises in China, forming a situation of "surplus in China and profit in Europe".

Bloomberg reported on the 8th that the European Parliament passed a non binding resolution the day before, calling for the use of "anti coercive tools" to pressure China. Analysis suggests that the easing of US China relations may make it more difficult for the EU to take trade restrictive actions against China, as Beijing no longer needs to deal with potential trade wars on two fronts. The report quoted Chinese experts as saying bluntly, "Does the EU, like the United States, have to fight a real trade war with China in order to recognize China's strength and then start sincere negotiations with China

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on the 8th that China has always believed that adhering to open cooperation and resolving economic and trade differences through equal dialogue and consultation is in line with the common interests of both China and Europe.

Another diplomatic engagement will take place simultaneously

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, French President's Foreign Affairs Advisor Bernard will come to China from October 9th to 13th to hold a new round of China France strategic dialogue with Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Office.

The China Europe trade negotiations and another diplomatic engagement between China and France are taking place simultaneously. The timing of this engagement is significant, as China Europe economic relations are increasingly linked to broader geopolitical issues, including the global economy, supply chains, and relations with the United States, "said Modern Diplomacy on the 8th. The report believes that the top priority for Beijing and Brussels is to find a compromise solution that can address concerns without escalating their differences into broader confrontation. China emphasizes' equal dialogue ', indicating that Beijing does not want negotiations to be defined as unilateral demands from Europe.

Mao Ning stated that during the visit of French President's Foreign Affairs Advisor Bonner to China, Director Wang Yi will hold a new round of China France strategic dialogue with him, engage in strategic communication on deepening cooperation in various fields between China and France, and exchange in-depth views on international and regional issues of common concern. China looks forward to strengthening coordination and cooperation on bilateral and multilateral issues through this dialogue, and promoting the steady development of China France and China Europe relations.