The EU-China summit in Beijing is unlikely to alleviate trade tensions, as China shortened the planned talks from two days to one. This summit marks the 50th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic relations and follows Chinese President Xi Jinping's decision to skip the meeting. EU officials express frustration over a significant trade deficit with China, exacerbated by restrictive market access and China's supportive policies for domestic industries. The EU has imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and demands fair market access to protect European producers from potential economic decline.
"This is another sign of Beijing's limited willingness and ambition to engage with the Europeans," Alicja Bachulska stated, highlighting the Chinese elites' perception of the EU as a midlevel power with limited leverage in trade negotiations.
"The scale of China's economy—the scale of subsidies, overcapacity and government intervention—is immense," Bachulska remarked, warning that without 'serious action' to protect Europe's auto industry, the EU risks 'partial deindustrialization' within a few years.
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