The People’s Republic of China and the European Union (EU) have held in-depth and comprehensive discussions on the establishment of a trade and investment consultation mechanism.
The discussions, according to China Daily, took place during a meeting in Brussels, Belgium, between Chinese Vice-Minister of Commerce Ling Ji and the Director-General for Trade and Economic Security at the European Commission, Ditte Juul Jorgensen.
It reported experts as saying that the development signalled a willingness from both Beijing and Brussels to manage differences through equal-footed dialogue.
The trade and investment experts also said a structured consultation framework will help to prevent spiralling frictions and provide the certainty that businesses on both sides need.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce disclosed that the two sides agreed to work towards pragmatic outcomes from the first meeting of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism, with the aim of stabilising bilateral economic and trade relations and promoting their sustainable development.
Following the development, a professor of international trade at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China, Cui Fan, said: “China and the EU are far more complementary than competitive.”
Cui noted that every minute, trade between China and the EU exceeded 10 million yuan ($1.47 million), citing last year’s trade data.
“The consultation mechanism is an essential step toward properly handling frictions and finding the right way to resolve problems, which serves the interests of business communities on both sides,” Cui also said.
China Daily added that since the beginning of 2026, Brussels has broadened its trade defence toolkit, rolling out a series of restrictive measures aimed at Chinese companies and products.
It stated that most recently, its efforts to compel European businesses to diversify their suppliers under the proposed revision of the EU’s Cybersecurity Act have added yet another layer of investment barriers and institutional discrimination, with China bearing the brunt.
Also, an assistant research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of European Studies in Beijing, China, Sun Yawen, said: “The EU’s increasingly closed internal market is hindering its ability to learn from and absorb cutting-edge technologies, thereby constraining potential pathways for industrial catch-up.”
Sun further said the continuous escalation of protectionist measures is unlikely to stimulate innovation among EU companies, trapping the EU in a vicious cycle.
The news medium further referenced a survey by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China last month, which stated that despite the EU’s “de-risking” agenda, European companies are doubling down on manufacturing in China.
Commenting, the global managing director of consultancy company Roland Berger, Denis Depoux, said: “We are seeing EU companies actively adapting to China’s dynamic business environment, as China is not only a market full of opportunities but has also become an indispensable source of innovation for their global operations.”
