China and EU to hold high-level trade talks this week after months of delays

Their virtual summit in April ended unsuccessfully after the EU failed to gain assurances from China that it wouldn’t support Russia’s war in Ukraine

Discussion topics to include supply chains, food security and energy prices, plus bilateral trade and investment concerns, says the European Commission

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Valdis Dombrovskis, the European commissioner for trade, will co-chair the virtual meetings with Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:00pm, 17 Jul 2022Updated: 8:32pm, 17 Jul 2022

Just before the summer lull hits Brussels, the European Union will hold a high-level trade dialogue with China on Tuesday – talks the 27-member bloc has been trying to organise for more than three months.

Valdis Dombrovskis, the European commissioner for trade, and Chinese vice-premier Liu He will co-chair the virtual meeting, which will also include representatives from the trade and economics ministries of both sides.

According to a European Commission representative, a number of global economic challenges will be discussed, including food security and energy prices, supply chains, financial services, and bilateral trade and investment concerns.

“The dialogue is taking place against the background of war in Europe and increasing uncertainties in the global economic outlook,” the representative said.

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The last high-level meeting between the EU and China was a virtual summit in April; it ended unsuccessfully after the EU failed to gain any assurances from China that it would not support Russia’s war against Ukraine financially or militarily. But both sides agreed to talk again “to find concrete ways to progress on these issues before the summer”.