High-level visits stoke business

European businesses in China appreciate the resumption of high-level bilateral visits, said Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China.

In late March and early April, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited China.

Josep Borrell, high representative of the European Union for foreign affairs and security policy, and Annalena Baerbock, the German minister of foreign affairs, will visit China this week.

Wuttke will meet them later this week and meet Frans Timmermans, executive vice-president of the European Commission, next week. Timmermans oversees responses to climate change, Wuttke told the media in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Tuesday at the annual general meeting of the chamber's South China chapter.

"We are back nearly to normal, at least when it comes to engagement at the top level. We really appreciate this because Zoom online simply doesn't have the same quality," Wuttke said.

On the visit of Von der Leyen, Wuttke said: "It remains to be seen how that visit will change things, but it's very important again that both leaders stress that decoupling is not in the cards."

He said the visit by Timmermans "is really important in order to actually make progress on climate change".

Wuttke said he hopes China and the EU will cooperate further in the automobile industry. China is a leader in new energy vehicles, batteries and automobile software. Europe leads in premium cars.

"I think we can tackle this transition from internal combustion engines to new energy vehicles together. Together and also as competitors," he said.

Opportunities for cooperation also lie in green technologies and health care equipment, he said.

On the coming China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, which will resume in-person exhibits, Wuttke said he is really happy.

"The Canton Fair has been iconic for nearly 70 years. It's important to have again a real exercise. And I hope it facilitates trade because trade is very dense, very deep and very meaningful between Europe and China."