Oct 10, V7N-European Council President Charles Michel is set to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang for face-to-face talks amid escalating trade tensions between the European Union and China. This meeting will take place during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Vientiane, Laos, on Friday morning.

The discussions come shortly after China announced provisional tariffs on European brandy imports, marking another point of contention in the ongoing trade dispute. The EU and China, while being significant economic partners, are currently at odds over issues such as Beijing's subsidies for its industries, which the EU claims give Chinese exports an unfair advantage by lowering prices and undercutting European competitors.

In retaliation to the EU's imposition of additional tariffs of up to 35.3 percent on Chinese-made electric cars, which China has denounced as "protectionist," Beijing has initiated an investigation into EU-made brandy imports, attributing new tariffs to concerns over "dumping" that threatens local producers.

Furthermore, the EU is looking into Chinese subsidies for solar panels and wind turbines, while China is investigating EU subsidies on certain dairy and pork products. The situation highlights the complexities of the trade relationship between the two economic powers and their ongoing efforts to address perceived unfair practices.

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