The EU calls on China to open up the market more

Ursula von der Leyen called on China to provide greater access to its market. This statement was made at the summit between China and the EU, which did not lead to significant results. Speaking after a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, von der Leyen noted that it would be difficult for the EU to maintain its current level of openness if Beijing did not eliminate the problem of excess production capacity of its companies.

One of the main achievements of the negotiations was the agreement on a mechanism to prevent delays in licensing the export of strategic minerals, which is critically important for European companies. This tool will allow businesses to quickly apply for mediation and solve problems in case of failures.

The summit was the first face-to-face meeting between the EU and Chinese leadership since 2023. Earlier, von der Leyen and Xi Jinping met in Paris, but then the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang were absent from the talks.