Chinese firms in Europe call for ‘substantive' deal at China-EU summit

South China Morning Post

2 days ago

Chinese businesses in Europe have urged political leaders in China and the European Union to seize a 'historic opportunity' to resolve their disputes and reach a 'substantive' trade deal at this week's China-EU summit in Beijing.
They called for a reduction in trade barriers and political interference, stressing that Beijing and Brussels needed to find a compromise on thorny issues such as electric vehicles and rare earth exports, as both faced a common threat in US President Donald Trump's tariff war.
'We the business community hold high expectations, hoping that China and Europe can seize this historic opportunity to achieve substantive results' at the summit, said Fang Dongkui, secretary general of the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU).
The comments come as Chinese and European leaders
remain divided over a slew of issues ahead of a highly anticipated leaders' meeting on Thursday, which will be chaired by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, as well as Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
President Xi Jinping will also meet von der Leyen and Costa during their stay in Beijing this week, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday.
China–EU economic ties should not be hijacked by geopolitics, but should instead serve as a stabiliser and engine for global trade
Fang Dongkui, CCCEU
The CCCEU hopes the two sides can broker a deal to remove trade barriers in several areas, including the EU's tariffs targeting Chinese electric vehicles, Fang told the Post.