EU Commission President von der Leyen: China-EU Trade Talks Must Deliver Results
At a critical juncture as the EU prepares to take follow-up actions regarding trade imbalances with China, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on July 3 that upcoming negotiations with China must deliver "concrete outcomes," emphasizing that the EU is fully prepared for "all scenarios."
Speaking at a press conference at University College Cork in Ireland, von der Leyen stated that the EU's stance in the talks "must be very clear," stressing the need to unambiguously raise core concerns, including "the influx of Chinese goods with overcapacity after subsidies into our markets, and insufficient market access for our companies in China." She explicitly said: "We do not want to see unfair competition caused by subsidies in our markets again."
Von der Leyen claimed that between 2005 and 2024, Chinese enterprises received government support three to eight times more than companies in OECD countries, citing this to substantiate the EU’s concerns about so-called "unfair subsidies." She also issued a clear warning: if the negotiations fail to bring about any changes, the EU is ready to act. "We are essentially prepared for all situations—we have all tools on the table, and we are exploring other necessary possibilities."
This statement comes as China-EU trade talks enter a crucial phase. Following a meeting between EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on June 29, Brussels expressed hope that negotiations with Beijing would yield "concrete results" by October this year. In response, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced on July 2 that China and the EU will hold the second ministerial-level meeting under their Trade and Investment Cooperation Mechanism this autumn.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1869763855884298/
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