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Exclusive | China’s commerce chief to visit Brussels as EU trade relations sour
- Trip in April comes as broad concerns surface across Europe about bloc’s dependence on Beijing for important commodities
- Meanwhile, European Commission president lays out blueprint for tougher China approach focused on economic security
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Finbarr Berminghamin Brussels
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao is set to visit Brussels in April, even as the European Union explores ways of “de-risking” its trade relations with Beijing.
Wang is expected to meet with senior EU officials in the coming weeks, while he is also set to take in other European capitals including Berlin, according to multiple people familiar with the plans.
He is likely to be looking to find ways of steadying the ship at a turbulent time for China-EU relations.
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While China became the EU’s biggest trading partner in 2020, broad concerns have surfaced in Brussels and beyond about the bloc’s dependence on China for important commodities.
Member states consistently talk about the need to be “less naive” when it comes to the Asian power, and even as bilateral trade has soared in recent years, ties have frayed over Beijing’s relationship with Russia, its human rights record, and persistent complaints over China’s economic model.
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