Challenges in EU-China trade relations

Summary of the theme of the conference: ‘The EU is now China’s most important trading partner while China is the EU’s second most important partner after the US. With such an intensive trade relationship, it should come as no surprise that trade tensions have intensified between the two partners, particularly on issues such as market access and intellectual property rights, anti-dumping and other trade-remedy instruments. At the same time, the importance of the trade relationship makes it all the more important to find mutually beneficial solutions to these conflicts. The objective of this meeting is first to clarify European and Chinese economic policies towards each other and how they are formulated, and secondly to highlight various challenges seen from both sides and suggest ways of moving the relationship forward.’