EU-China relations: The economic challenges yet to be resolved

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No awesome deals person emerged from Chinese President Xi Jinping's European sojourn contempt efforts to find communal crushed connected a number of topics.

Ahead of nan Chinese President's sojourn to Serbia and Hungary connected nan latest limb of his European visit, Xi Jinping was taken by France's President Emmanuel Macron to nan Pyrenees mountains.

Macron entertained Xi connected Tuesday pinch luncheon adjacent nan birthplace of his maternal grandma astatine what was a much individual engagement pursuing Monday's general discussions successful Paris.

Those negotiations, besides attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, focused heavy connected waste and acquisition disputes, successful peculiar nan matter of Chinese equipment being imported into Europe.

The waste and acquisition conundrum

The European Commission past twelvemonth launched an investigation into nan abundance of Chinese greenish exertion successful nan EU which critics reason is harming European competitors.

Chinese manufacturers are capable to support their costs artificially debased because they are supported by authorities subsidies.

Following Monday's talks, von der Leyen said that nan European Union "cannot sorb monolithic over-production of Chinese business equipment flooding its market. Europe will not waver from making reliable decisions needed to protect its market."  

Supporting French industry

President Macron has been supportive of nan Commission's stance against alleged unfair trade, but he remains wary of retaliatory measures.

France has a number of industries reliant connected Chinese buyers, notably nan brandy business and cosmetics manufacturers.

Following Monday's discussions, Emmanuel Macron thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for what he called "his unfastened attitude" regarding an anti-dumping probe into French brandy.

China opened an investigation into cognac imported from nan EU successful January. It now seems that China will not enforce taxes aliases civilization duties connected nan beverage until nan enquiry is over.

Agreements connected business contracts

Xi Jinping has besides referred to nan first meetings pinch European leaders arsenic "fruitful".

French and Chinese companies person signed a number of agreements, though location person been nary awesome deals.

Contracts see an connection for French institution Alstom to build caller metro lines successful Beijing and Wuhan - and nan patient will besides lend to metro infrastructure successful nan Chinese metropolis of Hefei.

Even though Macron has talked astir nan request to protect Europe's interests, France remains keen to big Chinese EV factories.

"France welcomes each business projects. BYD and nan Chinese car manufacture are very invited successful France," Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said astatine a gathering pinch car assemblage executives connected Monday.

Pro-Russian neighbours

Xi's European itinerary now continues pinch visits to Serbia and Hungary, 2 nations that person a important magnitude of Chinese investment.

By choosing to sojourn countries sympathetic to Moscow, Xi is showing his expertise to tribunal players connected some sides of nan fence.

China has refused to condemn Russia's penetration of Ukraine, though it has refrained from offering overt subject support.

There are, however, concerns that Chinese companies are still trading "dual-use" items to Russia that tin beryllium utilized to make subject hardware.

Serbia and Hungary play a important domiciled successful China's Belt and Road initiative, aimed astatine expanding its world influence.

On this adjacent limb of his trip, Xi will talk advancement connected a high-speed obstruction nexus betwixt Budapest and Belgrade.

This will let nan Chinese-owned larboard of Piraeus successful Greece to go an introduction constituent for Chinese equipment travelling to Central and Eastern Europe.


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