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<img clbad = "alignleft size-medium wp-image-3990" title = "Exclusive: China presses Europe for anti-US alliance on trade" src = "https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content /uploads/reuters/07-2018/04/2018-07-03T125524Z_1_LYNXMPEE62123_RTROPTP_2_USA-TRADE-CHINA-TRUMP.jpg "alt =" Exclusive: China presses Europe against the US BRUSSELS / BERLIN (Reuters) – China lobbies the European Union for it to issue a strong joint statement against the trade policy of President Donald Trump at a summit at the end of the month At meetings in Brussels, Berlin and Beijing, top Chinese officials, including Vice Premier Liu He and the top Chinese government diplomat, State Councilor Wang Yi, proposed an alliance between the two economic powers.
It was proposed to China and the European Union to launch a joint action against the United States with the United ndiale of commerce
. The largest trading block in the world has rejected the idea of combining with Beijing against Washington, told Reuters five European officials and diplomats, in anticipation of a Sino-European summit in Beijing on 16 and 17 July. Instead, the summit is expected to produce a modest statement, which affirms the commitment of both parties to the multilateral trading system and promises to set up a task force on WTO modernization, said the EU officials
said privately that China is ready to define for the first time the sectors that it can open to European investments at the annual summit, which will be attended by President Xi Jinping, the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and the highest officials of the EU.
The media has promoted the message that the European Union is on China's side, officials said, putting the bloc in a delicate position. The last two summits, in 2016 and 2017, ended without a declaration due to disagreements over the South China Sea and trade.
"China wants the European Union to rise with Beijing against Washington," said a European diplomat. . "We will not do it and we told them that."
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the goals of the Beijing Summit
CHINA & # 39; S MOMENT
Brussels shares Washington's concerns about China's closed markets and Western governments claim that Beijing's handling of trade dominates world markets. "We agree with almost all the US complaints against China," We do not agree with the way the US goes out, "said one other diplomat
However, China's position is striking given Washington's deep economic and security ties with European countries, and shows the depth of Chinese concerns about a trade war with Washington, then that Trump should impose tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese imports on July 6.
It also highlights the bold newness of China The United States and their European, Canadian and Japanese allies on issues such as free trade, climate change and foreign policy
"Trump has divided the West, and China seeks to capitalize on this point. A bloc, "said a European official involved in EU-China diplomacy.
" China now has the feeling that it may attempt to divide the European Union in many areas, on trade Another official described the dispute between Trump and Western allies at the Group of Seven summit last month as a gift to Beijing because it showed that leaders Europeans were losing a long-standing ally, at least in trade policy
felt a greater urgency on the part of China in 2017 to find like-minded countries ready to oppose the policies of the world. 39; America's First Trump
NO "SYSTEMIC CHANGE"
in April showed that China's restrictions on foreign investment are higher in all sectors except real estate, compared in the European Union, while q A lot of big Chinese acquisitions in the block would not have been possible for European companies in China.
China has promised to open. But European leaders are waiting for any movement to be more symbolic than substantive.
They say China's decision to lower tariffs on imported cars in May will make little difference because imports are such a small part of the market. China's plans to move quickly to electric vehicles mean that the new benefits it offers to traditional European automakers will be ephemeral. "Whenever the train leaves the station, we are allowed to enter the platform".
However, China's bid for the next summit to open reflects Beijing's concern about having to deal with stricter EU controls, and regulators also block attempts Chinese takeover in the United States.
"We do not know if this offer of opening is still real," said a third EU diplomat. "It is unlikely that it marks a systemic change."
(Additional report by Ben Blanchard in Beijing, edited by Giles Elgood)
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