EU will not tolerate ‘imbalance’ for long in its trade relations with China, said the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in an interview he gave to Agence France-Presse on behalf of the European news agencies of the European Newsroom, on the occasion of the upcoming EU-China Summit.

The President of the Commission described the EU-China Summit, which will take place on 7 December in Beijing, as a “Summit of choices”: firstly, in terms of EU-China trade relations and addressing imbalances, secondly in on international issues such as Russia’s war against Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East and thirdly on the options on the table to combat climate change.

Von der Leyen stressed that the EU is an “important trading partner for China and vice versa”. but “there is a growing trade imbalance”. He said the EU’s trade deficit with China has doubled in two years to reach a record 390 billion euros in 2022. “The imbalance is visible, for example, exports from China to the EU are three times higher of EU exports to China. In other words, if we have three containers going from China to Europe, two of these containers return empty back to China,” said the president of the Commission. He also added that the EU notes a lack of access to the Chinese market for European companies, preferential treatment of domestic Chinese companies, while also looking into the issue of hidden or direct and indirect subsidies to Chinese companies compared to European companies. “The EU wants fair competition when it comes to global players coming into its single market,” Von der Leyen stressed, adding that “it is in the interests of both sides to have a sustainable trade between us” and that the EU “does not will tolerate long-term imbalance’ in trade relations. “We have tools to protect our market, but we prefer to have negotiated solutions,” the Commission president stressed, saying “it is in China’s interest to carefully consider these options.”

Asked about the Ukrainian issue and how the E.U intends to persuade Beijing to step up pressure on Russia, von der Leyen stressed that China, as a member of the UN Security Council, has a specific responsibility and it is important to use its influence on Russia and defend the UN charter, which is a country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. She admitted that the EU is concerned about the circumvention of sanctions against Russia – an issue the EU and China have been discussing.

On the Green Deal, the Commission president emphasized that China and the EU are greatly affected by climate change and therefore have a common interest in working together to combat it and protect biodiversity. China accounts for 28% of global greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 7% in the EU, so its decisive actions matter a lot, said Von der Leyen, who welcomed China’s participation in the methane pledge. She said there was “excellent cooperation” with China on carbon pricing and welcomed the emissions trading system it is building to fight climate change.

The president of the Commission, together with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, accompanied by the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Yang at the EU-China Summit in Beijing. The aim is China-EU talks at the highest level and the pursuit of constructive and stable bilateral relations. The summit will focus on the state of EU-China relations and international issues, including Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. Ways to ensure a more balanced and reciprocal trade relationship will also be discussed, as well as areas of common concern such as climate change, food security, global health and pandemic preparedness.