Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao and European trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic held a video call on Thursday, as the two sides strive to keep a lid on simmering economic tensions and pave the way for a leaders’ summit in Beijing.
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“Both sides agreed to work together to lay the groundwork for key economic and trade items on the China-EU agenda this year,” the Ministry of Commerce said in an online statement released on Friday.
The call came just days after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a hawkish critique of China during the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada on Monday.
During a session on the global economy at the G7 summit, which was also attended by US President Donald Trump, von der Leyen accused Beijing of offering “massive subsidies with the aim to dominate manufacturing and supply chains”, calling it a “distortion with intent”.
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The EU’s top official also warned of a potential “new China shock” during the summit, ahead of a China-EU leaders’ meeting scheduled for July to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations.
