'China is breaking the rules': EU demands 'fair competition' at summit
Issued on: Modified:
The leaders of China and the European Union held talks Thursday that focused on their disputes over trade, subsidies and a deep divide over the war in Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with the two European presidents, Ursula von der Leyen from the EU Commission and Charles Michel from the EU Council. The European Union is calling on China to improve market access to address an annual trade imbalance of more than $200 billion between the two sides. China is unhappy with an EU investigation into subsides for electric vehicles and possible EU restrictions on technology exports. The EU has urged China to use its influence with Russia to help bring an end to the Ukraine conflict. Von der Leyen said the two sides need to manage their differences responsibly. “China is the EU’s most important trading partner,” she said in opening remarks posted on the commission's website. “But there are clear imbalances and differences that we must address.” Xi said that China and the EU should handle their differences through dialogue, and pushed back against what his government sees as a shift in Europe toward a more strident and competitive approach to China. With China, EU summit exposing divisions over Ukraine, trade and subsidies, FRANCE 24's François Picard is joined by Reinhard Bütikofer, German Member of the European Parliament (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance).