China, EU officially launch trade, investment consultation mechanism

China

China, EU officially launch trade, investment consultation mechanism

2026-06-30 16:52 Last Updated At：17:07

China and the European Union (EU), in a joint statement issued on Tuesday, confirmed the official establishment of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism, after the two sides held the inaugural meeting of the mechanism in Brussels on Monday.

China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security and Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency Maros Sefcovic co-chaired the first meeting of the mechanism, according to the statement.

As key trading partners, China and the EU agreed that the main objective of the mechanism is to strengthen dialogue at the ministerial level on trade and investment policies with a view to stabilizing and making bilateral bilateral relationship more balanced, the statement said.

During the meeting, both sides noted the importance of addressing the challenges affecting the bilateral trade relationship and agreed to seek practical solutions, it said.

The two sides identified four initial workstreams under the mechanism, which comprise trade and investment balancing, export controls, intellectual property rights and World Trade Organization (WTO) reform, according to the statement.

Wang and Sefcovic mandated officials to engage in the four workstreams and agreed to meet again at the ministerial level in autumn this year, it said.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed to establish a joint monitoring mechanism to exchange relevant data, monitor trade flows and support technical work with a view to improving transparency, enhancing mutual trust and managing trade frictions, according to the statement.

They agreed that increased market access measures and initiatives can contribute to the balancing of trade relationship. They also discussed possible tariff or non-tariff initiatives to this effect, exchanged lists of market access issues and agreed to continue consultations within the trade and investment balancing workstream with a view to making progress on specific concerns, the statement said.

Both sides took note of the positive results of the China-EU export control dialogue regarding rare earth elements and other critical materials and minerals, and intended to strengthen dialogue in this field, according to the statement.

The two sides discussed the value of continuing to exchange information on their respective regulatory frameworks and licensing policies, it said.

They recognized the need to strengthen the China-EU export control dialogue and agreed to take further facilitation measures to maintain stability of global industrial and supply chains, it continued.

China and the EU underline the necessity of strengthening bilateral cooperation in the WTO, advancing substantive progress on WTO reform, and improving the authority and effectiveness of the WTO, the statement said, adding that both sides agreed to further strengthen communication and cooperation within the WTO framework.

Both sides recognized the constructive exchanges in the China-EU intellectual property working group as the main channel for China-EU intellectual property related discussions at the technical level. They discussed and agreed to address a number of systemic intellectual property issues, with the aim of enhancing the efficiency, fairness and transparency of IP protection and enforcement, the statement said.

Iranian expert warns US violations undermine fragile ceasefire with Iran

With tensions resurfacing barely two weeks after the United States and Iran signed a peace memorandum of understanding (MoU), an Iranian political expert has warned the U.S. is adopting a contradictory posture -- pursuing negotiations while continuing military pressure.

Fresh clashes have raised serious doubts about the durability of the fragile truce, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

The U.S. conducted strikes on Iranian targets on Friday and Saturday, citing "continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping" in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by striking U.S. military positions in the region.

During an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Foad Izadi, an associate professor at the University of Tehran, argued that Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz are in line with the MoU, contrary to U.S. accusations.

"Article 1 is very clear that a ceasefire means ceasing fire. The United States has violated that with regard to Iran. The excuse they have is that Iran is trying to manage the Strait of Hormuz in terms of the passage of ships. But apparently, they have not read Article 5, because based on Article 5 of the MoU, that is what Iran is supposed to do, at least for the next 60 days. And the management of the Strait of Hormuz is going to be decided between the two coastal states. That is Iran and Oman," he said.

Izadi warned that the U.S. actions undermine the possibility of genuine diplomacy, though Iran keeps that on the table.

"Diplomacy can work if the United States wants it to work. If they want to have these talks to keep oil prices low, because if these talks break down, it may affect oil prices. They don't want to do that. They want to keep oil prices low, and they want to attack Iran at the same time, and they don't want to do what they are supposed to do under the agreement. You see, they are already violating Articles 1 and 5 of the agreement. So they want to have it both ways. They want to have these negotiations, but they don't want to engage these negotiations seriously, and they are preparing for their next attack. This is something that Iranian officials realize," he said.