BRUSSELS, July 23. /TASS/. Leaders of the European Union are preparing for tough talks with President of China Xi Jinping during the forthcoming EU-China amid the strain in trade and the conflict in Ukraine, The Financial Times (FT) reports.
The EU is concerned about Chinese industrial overcapacity, trade imbalances and "economic coercive practices", the dominance in critical raw materials, chemicals and consumer drones, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas told the newspaper. "Trade and security are interlinked," she noted.
The very fact of complex issues to be discussed by the parties is an achievement, a high-ranking EU official said. The open exchange of opinions at the summit level in China is a good result, he noted. Brussels initiated 25 probes as part of trade interests protection against Chinese products over the last year, which is almost four times more than a year earlier.
The EU-China summit will be held on July 24. President of China Xi Jinping, Prime Minister of China Li Qiang, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Antonio Costa will take part in it.