European Parliament lawmakers will hold a media briefing on EU-China trade relations on Oct. 21, ahead of a three-day delegation visit to Beijing and Shanghai. The briefing will focus on trade challenges and the objectives of the mission. Bernd Lange, chair of the Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, and Pascal Canfin, the committee’s rapporteur on China, will lead the briefing from 2 to 2:30 p.m. CEST in Strasbourg, with online participation available. The session will conclude with an off-the-record question-and-answer period. Members of the committee are scheduled to visit China from Oct. 27 to 29 for talks with Chinese lawmakers and government officials. Discussions are expected to cover market access, industrial subsidies, competition, supply-chain security and critical raw materials. The visit comes as the European Union presses China to address its trade surplus, industrial overcapacity and barriers facing European companies. EU officials are also seeking to reduce dependence on China for critical materials and technologies. Media representatives must register by emailing [email protected] by 2 p.m. CEST on Oct. 20. Post navigation Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake Strikes Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia