Members of the European Parliament’s trade committee are heading to China to discuss the country’s trade policies and their impact on European businesses and jobs. They’ll also seek ways to foster dialogue. The EU and China are crucial trade partners; China is the EU’s third-largest trading partner for goods and services, and the EU is one of China’s key trade partners. The EU’s trade deficit with China has been rising, recently hitting €1 billion a day. Many see this economic relationship as uneven, mainly because of the big differences in market access.
This trip follows recent discussions between EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and Chinese officials, as well as talks among EU leaders. It will be the fourth European Parliament delegation to visit China in 2026. Led by Bernd Lange (S&D, D), the chair of the Parliament’s International Trade Committee (INTA), the delegation will stop in Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai from 27 to 29 October. This is the second INTA delegation visit to China, with the last taking place in 2018.
Ahead of the visit, Bernd Lange said: “Our mission takes place at a pivotal moment for EU-China trade relations. The recent agreement on hybrid cars is just the starting point. Many issues remain on the table, from industrial overcapacity to access to rare earths. Currently, the EU faces a daily trade deficit of 1 billion euros with China, due in part to its import restrictions on EU companies. We look forward to engaging directly with our counterparts in China to keep the dialogue going, strive for a breakthrough and achieve tangible results in the near future.”
While there, the MEPs plan to raise several key issues, including the EU’s reliance on critical raw materials and technology, China’s overproduction causing market distortions, and the unequal market access European companies face in China. They’ll also discuss the growing number of cheap Chinese goods coming into the EU, along with the EU’s upcoming Industrial Accelerator Act (often called “Made in Europe” rules) and the new agreement on hybrid car imports with China.
The MEPs will meet with Chinese counterparts, regional and national officials, including those from the Ministry of Commerce. They’ll also meet with representatives from the EU Chamber of Commerce to better understand the challenges European companies face in China, as well as officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. In Hangzhou, a major tech hub, the delegation will visit two innovative companies: Unitree and BrainCo.
Bernd Lange will accompanied by: Pascal Canfin, INTA standing rapporteur for China (Renew FR); Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez (EPP, ES); Kathleen Van Brempt (S&D, BE); Enikő Győri (PfE, HU); Jaak Madison (ECR, ET); Markéta Gregorová (Greens/EFA, CS); Rudi Kennes (The Left, BE); Angelika Niebler (EPP, DE); Jörgen Warborn (EPP, SV); Brando Benifei (S&D, IT); and Engin Eroglu (Renew, DE), chair of the Delegation for Relations with the People’s Republic of China.
