China, EU reach agreements on trade, investment after Beijing talks

China and the European Union (EU) agreed on a list of outcomes after the second meeting of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism in Beijing, according to a joint statement issued on Friday.

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic held pragmatic and productive discussions during the two-day meeting on Thursday and Friday, the statement said.

The 16-point list of common understandings covers trade and investment balance, export controls, intellectual property rights and WTO reform, according to the joint statement.

Both sides reaffirmed that, as key trading partners, China and the EU will manage their differences under the WTO framework and commit to further stabilizing bilateral economic and trade relations and making them more balanced.

On trade and investment, both sides will keep exploring tariff cuts on certain goods under WTO rules.

They will also continue talks on price undertakings and review procedures tied to the EU's anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicles.

On export controls, both recognize the need for more predictable, stable global industrial and supply chains.

China will keep facilitating rare earth and permanent magnet export licenses to the EU via a "green channel".

The EU will work with member states to ease key licensing cases involving dual-use items.

Both sides will also improve transparency in listing and delisting procedures.

On intellectual property, the joint statement says both sides have begun tackling systemic IP issues and made progress. They will track progress through the China-EU Intellectual Property Working Group.

On WTO reform, both agreed to deepen bilateral communication and cooperation in an open, constructive manner, discuss all relevant issues, and push for substantive progress.

Both sides agreed to hold the third meeting of the mechanism in March 2027 and to maintain close communication in the meantime, including a ministerial-level video conference in January 2027.

China, EU reach agreements on trade, investment after Beijing talks

Israel marked the somber third anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that triggered the current round of conflict in Gaza, with national memorial events laying bare deep societal rifts across the country.

The divisions were evident in the anniversary commemorations, as many families of hostages and their supporters chose to skip government-organized ceremonies, arguing that the war had been prolonged for political gains.

"My family who lives in Israel would never go near a government ceremony, which is sad that even in grief we are so divided; the country is still so divided," said Julia, a Canadian visitor to Israel.

As government ministers took the stage in Jerusalem, the families chose to be elsewhere, including at "The Space Left Behind," an exhibition at the Peres Center in Tel Aviv showcasing personal belongings of those killed in the Oct. 7 attack and the war that followed.

"We are giving as much as we can to the families. I feel like the politics is coming between [us and] that exhibition, just because this is all for life," said Emek Keidar Juma'a, curator of "The Space Left Behind" exhibition.

"I have the feeling that I had when I went to Hostages Square. The support of the people in Israel, it's so exciting, and also here. And I see that people are reading and seeing Tal's item, and it's very exciting because they don't have to come. They choose to come in support," said Ela Haimi, a Gaza border resident, who lost her husband Tal in the October 7 attack.

The Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed about 1,200 people and triggered a massive Israeli military campaign across Gaza that has killed, according to Gaza-based health authorities, more than 74,200 people. It subsequently expanded into fighting across the region.

Israel marks third anniversary of Oct. 7 attack amid deep societal divisions