EU-China trade talks; Reality after the Xi-Trump meeting; US-China AI/SI
European trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič starts two days of talks in Beijing on Thursday, seeking at least one measure to reduce China's trade surplus with the EU. Ahead of the visit, German Chancellor Merz and French President Macron released a letter and a joint position paper calling for measures that, while not mentioning China, signal a willingness to take a tougher approach against China. EU officials told member states that China had refused a proposal to limit hybrid vehicle exports to the EU to about 15 per cent of the EU market.
Why it matters: The visit is the immediate test of the briefing's EU-China trade theme, with the EU seeking voluntary curbs rather than punitive measures that could spark a retaliatory spiral.