According to China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), Wang Wentao, China’s Minister of Commerce, and Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commission’s Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, co-chaired the second regular meeting of the China-EU Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism in Beijing on 8-9 October and issued a joint statement.
The two sides held equal, professional and constructive discussions on issues including trade and investment balancing, export controls, intellectual property and World Trade Organization (WTO) reform. They agreed to continue managing differences through dialogue and consultation, advance practical cooperation and prepare for the third regular meeting.
China stated that both sides should build on their shared positioning as stable and balanced key trading partners. They agreed to maintain communication on market access and gradually address each other’s concerns regarding medical devices, agri-food products and the ban on financing for inverters. They also agreed to strengthen dialogue on export controls, technical exchanges on the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), and cooperation on intellectual property protection and WTO reform.
China also expressed concern over the EU’s recent trade-restrictive measures, stressing that China is not the root cause of the EU’s problems, but a partner in resolving them. China urged both sides to address trade frictions and differences through dialogue, in accordance with WTO rules and with due consideration for each other’s interests.
The EU stated that China is an important economic and trade partner and expressed its willingness to strengthen communication within the TIC framework, seek solutions through constructive dialogue, and promote more balanced and stable bilateral economic and trade relations. Both sides regarded the second regular meeting as a new starting point for deepening cooperation and instructed their working teams to continue follow-up work and implement the agreed outcomes as soon as possible.
