BRUSSELS: The European Union’s trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic is to raise concerns about China’s policies as he heads to Beijing for two days of talks on Thursday, after visiting Washington this week, Brussels said Wednesday.
The 27-nation bloc hopes Sefcovic’s first visit to China since he became trade commissioner late last year could help improve relations with Beijing amid global trade tensions.
“The aim of the visit is to foster a more balanced and cooperative trade relationship between the EU and China, with a focus on reciprocity, transparency, and mutual benefit,” the European Commission said in a statement.
US President Donald Trump has taken a hard line on the EU and China, slapping tariffs on both and threatening more.
The European Commission had condemned the US imposition of tariffs on Mexico and Canada on March 4 but pointedly refused to comment on Washington’s introduction of additional duties on China.
In Beijing, Sefcovic will meet Vice Premier He Lifeng, a close advisor to President Xi Jinping on economic matters, and Minister for Customs Sun Meijun on Thursday as well as European business executives in China.
He will then meet Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Friday.
“In his meetings, he will address the EU’s systemic concerns over the negative impact of China’s non-market policies and practices, and raise market access barrier issues affecting EU exports and investment in China,” the commission said.
It added that one of the visit’s goals would be “to align Chinese investments in the EU with EU priorities and policy objectives”.
Sefcovic visited Washington this week in a last-ditch effort to avert a trade war after US levies on steel and aluminium came into effect this month.
“The hard work goes on. The EU’s priority is a fair, balanced deal instead of unjustified tariffs,” Sefcovic wrote on X after talks with US officials including US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Tuesday.
The European Union has given extra time for dialogue, delaying the start of its countermeasures to mid-April, two weeks later than initially planned.
Sefcovic met with Trump’s top trade officials on Tuesday to try to avoid steep US tariffs on EU goods next week, but the results of the talks were unclear.
Sefcovic said he held “substantive talks” with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and top White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett.
Two previous discussions with Trump officials had yet to alter Trump’s plans to raise US import duties to match the rates charged by major trading partners and counteract their non-tariff trade barriers.
“The hard work goes on. The EU’s priority is a fair, balanced deal instead of unjustified tariffs,” Sefcovic said in a post on X. “We share the goal of industrial strength on both sides.”
