China, EU agree on regular ministerial talks under fresh bilateral trade consultation mechanism

China and the European Union have agreed to hold one or two ministerial-level meetings each year under the newly established China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

Speaking at a weekly news briefing in Beijing, Ministry Spokesman He Yadong said China has invited European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional Relations, and Transparency Maros Sefcovic to visit China this autumn for the second meeting under the mechanism.

During the inaugural meeting in Brussels on Monday, the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and the green transition, tap into the potential of trade in services, and address trade concerns through market access consultations, He said.

The commerce official said China and the EU also reached a consensus on a new positioning for their economic and trade ties as stable and balanced key trading partners. The new mechanism is expected to improve business confidence on both sides and inject greater certainty and positive momentum into the Chinese, European, and global economies.