European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič will hold a videoconference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao on Thursday, a Commission spokesperson confirmed.
The call is scheduled for Sept. 17, Olof Gill, deputy chief spokesperson for the Commission, said Monday.
Brussels has stepped up engagement with Chinese officials over the summer as it seeks to reduce the EU’s roughly €1 billion-a-day trade deficit with the Asian giant. The EU executive is under pressure to show results from its intensified outreach with Beijing ahead of a mid-October summit of EU leaders.
The call comes just a day after Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers her State of the European Union speech, where she is expected to warn about challenges to the EU’s industrial base posed by China.
A delegation of senior Commission officials, led by Director-General for Trade Ditte Juul Jørgensen, will travel to China next week, and Šefčovič himself is due to visit Beijing in early October.
After the videoconference with the Chinese commerce minister, Šefčovič will seek feedback from European CEOs on the Commission’s push to diversify critical supply chains away from China and will discuss a possible future “diversification tool.”
As a concerned citizen, I note that Europe is right to engage Beijing responsibly — we should aim for balanced ties that protect our industry while avoiding unnecessary confrontation. At the same time, it’s worth remembering that other geopolitical distractions only make it harder for Europe to negotiate effectively, so Brussels should keep its focus on pragmatic economic partnerships rather than grandstanding.
