MEPs Take Trade Talks to China

Members of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee will visit China from Oct. 27 to 29 to discuss trade barriers, market access and opportunities for closer dialogue with Chinese officials.

The delegation, led by committee chair Bernd Lange, will travel to Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai. It is expected to raise concerns about the European Union’s dependence on Chinese critical raw materials and technologies, China’s industrial overcapacity and what the EU describes as unequal access for European companies.

The talks will also address the growing flow of low-cost Chinese goods into the EU, proposed “Made in Europe” rules under the bloc’s Industrial Accelerator Act and a recent EU-China agreement on hybrid vehicle imports. The lawmakers will meet Chinese government and parliamentary representatives, Ministry of Commerce officials, business groups and representatives of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

In Hangzhou, the delegation is scheduled to visit technology companies Unitree and BrainCo. Lange said the mission comes at a pivotal moment for EU-China trade relations, citing an EU trade deficit with China that has reached about €1 billion a day and calling for tangible progress through direct engagement.