China Cancels High-Level Meetings with EU, Beijing Says Both Sides Still in Communication

As trade friction between China and the European Union intensifies, foreign media reported that China abruptly canceled meetings with senior EU officials scheduled in Beijing this month. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated on the 11th that China and the EU remain in communication regarding the relevant dialogues.

According to a report by the Financial Times, citing sources, Chinese officials canceled two dialogues scheduled in Beijing this month at the last minute. One was a ministerial-level meeting on digital issues, and the other was a meeting scheduled to be attended by Olof Skoog, Political Affairs Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS).

According to a report by The Paper, during a regular press conference of the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the 11th, when asked about the issue, spokesperson Lin Jian said, "As far as I understand, both China and the EU are maintaining communication on the relevant dialogues."

When asked whether Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao would still visit the EU later this month, Lin Jian suggested inquiring with the competent authorities in China.

According to the Financial Times, China did not provide a reason for canceling the two important diplomatic meetings with the EU, but it is common for both sides to use such methods to express dissatisfaction with each other's policies.

The European Commission stated last month that the EU's daily trade deficit with China now stands at 1 billion euros, and the EU's total goods trade deficit with China last year reached 360 billion euros, calling the situation "unsustainable." It threatened to impose new tariffs on Chinese goods to protect severely impacted European industries, particularly the automotive sector.

On the 3rd, the EU was reported to be preparing to warn its citizens and businesses about the possibility of a trade war with China and considering new restrictive measures against China to reshape the imbalanced bilateral economic and trade relationship.

Since the beginning of this year, the EU has proposed several trade restriction measures, which are seen as targeting China, prompting protests from the Chinese side.