European Diplomatic Missions Planning Pre-Departure Trips to Tokyo and Beijing Prior to the Conclusion of U.S. Tasks
The EU and China are set to discuss a range of global issues during their upcoming summit in Beijing, with the backdrop of ongoing tensions and trade disputes, particularly with the US.
The summit, scheduled for later this month, will see European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President Antonio Costa, and High Representative Kaja Kallas join Chinese leaders for discussions on the state of the global order and the EU's relationship with China.
The EU will remind Beijing that the situation regarding Russia is not just a regional or European issue, but a direct threat to the global order. The EU leaders will also emphasise the need to defend multilateralism during the summit.
The EU has expressed concerns over the current economic situation with China, with President von der Leyen stating that the imbalances in the relationship are unsustainable and that rebalancing is needed. The EU welcomes competition but calls for fair competition, as China benefits from EU open markets but buys too little.
Market access is a key concern for the EU in its relationship with China, and the EU leaders will call for reciprocity in their economic relationship. The EU will also address the strengthening of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) as a basis for 'WTO 2.0' in the joint statement.
The EU-China summit will include a meeting with President Xi in the morning for a discussion on global affairs and bilateral relations, and a discussion and dinner with Prime Minister Li Qiang in the afternoon, focusing on trade issues.
Prior to the summit with China, the EU leaders will visit Tokyo for the 30th EU-Japan summit. The summit aims to deepen cooperation in various areas, including security and defense, trade, economic security, and support for a rules-based international order and multilateralism.
The EU and Japan will discuss managing tariff disputes, maintaining a stable free trade system under the WTO, and ongoing Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) matters. Expected outcomes are a joint declaration supporting multilateral trade rules, plans to deepen trade cooperation, and unified efforts to address global economic challenges and trade tensions.
The EU-Japan summit follows recent Japan-US tariff negotiations, which somewhat eased the tensions by reducing threatened tariffs, but the EU and Japan still face potential tariff increases if no further agreements are reached. The EU and Japan will emphasise the need for a predictable economic order, given their shared challenges of US tariffs on steel, aluminum, and cars.
The EU-Japan summit also serves to reinforce the strategic ties between the EU and Japan, with Tokyo being the EU's closest strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region. The EU and Japan will build upon the existing Japan-EU EPA, which is one of the world's largest free trade agreements, covering significant global trade and economic wealth. The summit discussions will include ongoing efforts to expand and update this agreement, such as negotiations on provisions for the free flow of data.
The EU-China summit and the EU-Japan summit highlight the global tensions and trade disputes, with the EU leaders seeking to deepen cooperation with both China and Japan to address these challenges and promote a rules-based economic order.
[1] EU-Japan Summit 2023
[2] EU-Japan Summit: What to expect
[3] EU-Japan Summit: Deepening Economic Partnership
[4] EU-Japan Summit: Data Flow Agreement
[5] EU-Japan Summit: Security Cooperation
- The upcoming EU-Japan Summit is expected to deepen cooperation between the two nations, focusing on economic partnership, security, and a rules-based international order, following the EU-China Summit that aims to address global tensions and trade disputes.
- As the EU-China Summit underscores the need for a rules-based economic order, the international policy-and-legislation discussions at both summits are pivotal in shaping the general news regarding global trade and geopolitical dynamics.
