MEPs Set for China Talks

The European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee will send an eight-member delegation to Beijing and Shanghai from July 21 to 23 for high-level talks with Chinese officials, as geopolitical uncertainty and trade tensions continue to strain EU-China relations.

Led by committee chair David McAllister, the delegation will discuss economic imbalances, Russia’s war against Ukraine, human rights in China and security in the Indo-Pacific. The talks will also cover areas of shared interest, including multilateralism, international public health and climate diplomacy.

The lawmakers are scheduled to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, leaders of the National People’s Congress and its foreign affairs committee, and representatives of the International Department of the Communist Party of China. They will also meet EU diplomats in Beijing and scholars from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

In Shanghai, the delegation will hold meetings with municipal officials and technology companies. Discussions will focus on technology sovereignty, competition between the EU and China, and international governance of artificial intelligence. The visit follows other European Parliament delegations to China and precedes a planned International Trade Committee visit later this year.