For a More Robust Approach Towards China in European Trade and Investment Policy

Matthes Jürgen; Matthes Jürgen

External Publication 18. September 2020 Jürgen Matthes in IN BRIEF For a More Robust Approach Towards China in European Trade and Investment Policy

China’s overall concessions in the CAI have so far fallen short of the EU's expectations. Apparently, Beijing will not move sufficiently on the issue of competitive distortions without more negotiation pressure.

External Publication 18. September 2020 Jürgen Matthes in IN BRIEF

For a More Robust Approach Towards China in European Trade and Investment Policy

China’s overall concessions in the CAI have so far fallen short of the EU's expectations. Apparently, Beijing will not move sufficiently on the issue of competitive distortions without more negotiation pressure.

Contacts

The EU should therefore choose a more robust approach and align even more with the US in this respect. More concretely, Brussels also needs to take unilateral action - in order to increase China’s incentives to engage, but also to prepare for a further increase in the global spillover of Chinese competitive distortions. However, in contrast to the US approach, European unilateral actions have to remain within the remit of WTO rules.

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