[ad_1]
China lobbied the European Union for it to issue a strong joint statement against President Donald Trump's trade policy at a summit to be held later this month but who is experiencing resistance. Senior Chinese officials, including Vice Premier Liu He and the top Chinese government diplomat, State Councilor Wang Yi, have proposed an alliance between the two economic powers and offered to open up the country. Chinese market as a sign of goodwill. The European Union, the largest trading block in the world, rejected the idea of an alliance with Beijing against Washington, five EU officials. and diplomats told Reuters before a Sino-European summit in Beijing on July 16-17.
Instead, the summit is expected to produce a modest communiqué, which affirms the commitment of both parties to the multilateral trading system and promises to create a working group on the modernization of the WTO, said European leaders
Deputy Prime Minister Liu He said in private that China is ready to define for the first time it can open to European investments at the annual summit, which will be attended by President Xi Jinping, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and the top EU officials.
The Chinese media promoted the message that the European Union is on the side of China, 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 objectives of the Beijing Summit.
Source link