MEPs request agreement with China to avoid trade war

Uthe delegation of MEPs asked the Chinese authorities to negotiate a comprehensive agreement with the European Union in order to avoid a trade war, warning that the bloc can resort to retaliation measures if there is no understanding.

This was transmitted by a delegation of seven MEPs who ended a two-day visit to China today, at a time when several European officials have warned that the trade deficit with China reached EUR 1 billion a day in 2025.

In a statement, the European Parliament (EP) states that at its meetings with the Chinese authorities, including with Trade Minister Wang Wentao, MEPs warned that no one would benefit from a trade war.

In this regard, they asked for work to be done on the basis of the recent “positive steps” that have been taken, namely the fact that China has agreed to significantly reduce exports of hybrid cars to the EU, so that a more comprehensive trade agreement can be drawn up.

“ We have made it clear to our Chinese counterparts that we hope that in the future more sectors will be covered by this approach, along with a credible implementation of the commitments already made,” said MEP Bernd Lange, President of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade and that he led this delegation.

The MEP argues that a more comprehensive trade agreement is important “not only to improve trade relations, but also to strengthen economic and political ties” between the European Union (EU) and China.

In turn, MEP Pascal Canfin, EP editor for trade relations with China, who also joined this delegation, says that the visit was important for the EP to convey “a sense of urgency as to the need to stabilise and rebalance” trade between the two parties.

“ Interdependence is at the heart of our relations, which is not necessarily negative. However, the Chinese export model is simply unsustainable for the EU,” he said.

The MEP recalls that the EU has instruments of retaliation if it finds “an imbalance” in its trade relations, in a veiled threat to China, and argues that the bloc is available for dialogue, but needs to “see results”.

Greeting the agreement reached at the beginning of the month on hybrid car exports, Pascal Canfin considers that these conversations created “a positive dynamic and produced concrete results.”.

“ We hope to be able to continue this spirit of cooperation and achieve more results for the benefit of the citizens of both sides in the near future,” he said.