New unity between the EU and China | TIME ONLINE

Beijing (dpa) – The trade dispute with US President Donald Trump causes the European Union and China to meet. At its 20th EU-China summit in Beijing on Monday, both sides made progress, even in dead-end trade issues.

For the first time in three years, there was also agreement on a joint declaration at the end of the summit reaffirming the "strategic partnership". "In today's world, this partnership is more important than ever," said Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission .

Both parties agreed to give a new impetus to the four-year negotiations on an investment protection agreement. In addition, a joint working group was agreed to advance a reform of World Trade Organization (WTO). "The EU and China are two forces of stability," said Chinese Premier Li Keqiang following talks with Juncker and EU Council President Donald Tusk at the Grand Council. Palace of the People. Chinese Party leader Xi Jinping received Tusk and Juncker in the evening.

Due to the large trade deficit of the United States, Trump uses punitive tariffs against the EU, China, but also Japan, Canada or Mexico. After a first premium of $ 34 billion on imports from China, with a penalty of 25%, other imports of $ 16 billion will follow this month. At the end of August, Trump threatens with a special ten percent fee on goods from China worth 200 billion US dollars. He is thinking of punitive tariffs on all Chinese imports of about 500 billion US dollars.

The EU is China's largest trading partner, while Europeans are trading only with the Americans. Commodities valued at 1.5 billion euros are exchanged daily between the EU and China.

Both sides pleaded at the top with an eight-page joint statement for a free world trade system with the WTO at its base. Regarding Trump's threats on Chinese goods worth $ 500 billion, Li Keqiang said: "China does not want a trade war with the US Nobody comes out victorious. 39, a commercial war ".

Tusk called on Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to cooperate with Europeans and Chinese and to ensure that the world order is not destroyed. A day after Trump described Europeans as "enemies," Tusk said, referring to the Helsinki summit and the EU-China meeting of Beijing : "We are all aware that the architecture of the world is changing before our eyes. "The former world order put an end to the cold war, brought peace to Europe and China's development.

"It is our common responsibility in Europe, China, America and Russia not to destroy this order, but to improve it," Tusk warned . "Do not launch trade wars that have become so often warlike conflicts in our history, but boldly and responsibly reform the rule-based world order." He called on Trump, Putin and China to jointly reform the WTO. "There is still time to prevent conflict and chaos."

WTO reform should focus on industrial subsidies, intellectual property protection, forced technology transfer, reduced business costs and more resolution. effective dispute. The goal is to strengthen the WTO and a level playing field, Tusk said.

The two parties also exchanged their offers for a new opening of the market to advance the investment agreement, which is a prerequisite for a free trade agreement for Europeans. The negotiations thus entered a "new phase" and received a "strong boost," said Li Keqiang.

China wants to "double" its efforts, and also hopes to launch soon a feasibility study for a free trade agreement, which both parties will seek. The Prime Minister discussed tariff cuts and the lifting of capital limits for foreign ownership in China and promised "significant market opening". He also promised "greater openness" for agricultural products that Europeans want to export to China.