EU-China trade talks begin in Beijing amid escalating pressure

What the report says

European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic has traveled to Beijing for two days of talks with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao as the European Union steps up pressure over its trade relationship with China. According to Al Jazeera’s report, the discussions open on Thursday and are centered on the bloc’s trade deficit, which the article says tops €1bn a day, along with Chinese restrictions on exports of rare earths and other critical minerals.

The negotiations come after months of EU-China contacts on trade imbalances. Al Jazeera reported that Brussels is also weighing responses to China’s growing competition in the auto sector, including possible limits on hybrid car imports. China has rejected calls for voluntary curbs and has warned of a “resolute response” if the EU moves ahead with restrictions on Chinese companies or products.

The talks in Beijing unfold as political pressure rises in Europe. A majority of EU lawmakers recently backed a tougher trade stance toward Beijing in a non-binding resolution, while French and German leaders have urged the bloc to prepare a faster, more powerful trade defense tool. Al Jazeera said that proposal is expected to be discussed at an EU summit next week.

The broader significance is that trade tensions now extend beyond tariffs and market access to strategic materials and industrial policy. The EU says it wants concrete results by October, while Beijing argues that EU concerns about imbalances and overcapacity amount to protectionism.