News analysis

‘China’s strategy will eat Europe’s initiatives’: Why Beijing aborted high-level talks with EU

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Chinese-made EV cars awaiting export are seen parked at the International Automobile Trade Port in Hangzhou in China's eastern Zhejiang province.

Chinese-made EV cars awaiting export are seen parked at the International Automobile Trade Port in Hangzhou in China's eastern Zhejiang province.

PHOTO: AFP

  • China abruptly cancelled EU meetings amid growing trade tensions, showing its refusal to concede on Europe's "unsustainable" €359.8 billion annual trade deficit.
  • The EU imposes piecemeal measures like tech bans, cybersecurity updates, and anti-dumping investigations against China.
  • The Chinese are gambling that other international investors will also oppose some of Europe’s trade measures and help defeat them.

AI generated

BRUSSELS – China has abruptly cancelled two scheduled meetings with senior European Union (EU) officials, in a sign of growing tensions between Beijing and Brussels over soaring Chinese trade surpluses with Europe.

No formal explanation for the abrupt cancellations – first reported in London’s Financial Times daily – was given, and both the EU and China are now claiming that the talks were merely “rescheduled”.

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