Both sides' concerns need to be addressed in China-EU trade talks: Editorial flash

The inaugural meeting of the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism in Brussels on Monday has sent a positive signal at a time of growing global trade uncertainty.

The two sides agreed to establish a joint monitoring mechanism to exchange relevant data, monitor trade flows and support technical work aimed at improving transparency, enhancing mutual trust and managing trade frictions. These outcomes demonstrate that dialogue remains the preferred choice for both sides. Establishing a dedicated mechanism for regular consultations is in itself an important achievement, particularly as China and the European Union have experienced growing trade tensions over the past year.

Yet the meeting also showed that establishing a dialogue mechanism is only the first step. The meeting has marked an initial progress by identifying four initial work streams under the new mechanism: trade and investment rebalancing, export controls, intellectual property rights and WTO reform. The four key points reflect issues of common concern to both sides and provide a practical starting point for future cooperation.

That underlines an important reality: successful trade negotiations are not about one side responding only to the other's requests while its own interests remain unaddressed. Durable solutions can emerge only when both parties are prepared to give equal attention to each other's legitimate concerns.

That is particularly important because China and the EU remain deeply interconnected economically. As Charles Michel, former president of the European Council and former prime minister of Belgium, recently told China Daily, the level of interdependence among Europe, China, the United States and the rest of the world is now so high that "decoupling" is little more than an illusion.

The diversity of interests within Europe also deserves attention. Many EU member states continue to value close economic cooperation with China. Just one day before the Brussels meeting, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche and reaffirmed their willingness to maintain close dialogue on trade and economic policy issues while discussing the resumption of the Joint Economic Committee. The meeting reflected the practical interests many European countries have in maintaining stable economic relations with China.

Business communities on both sides have repeatedly emphasized the importance of predictable policies and open communication. Their confidence depends not only on the existence of dialogue mechanisms, but also on whether those mechanisms can produce practical outcomes that reduce uncertainty and strengthen mutual trust.

The establishment of the consultation mechanism should therefore be viewed not as the conclusion of a negotiation but as the beginning of a longer process. Differences between major trading partners are inevitable. What matters is whether they are managed through dialogue rather than confrontation, and consultation rather than unilateral action.

As two of the world's largest economies and trading powers, China and the European Union have every reason to make this new mechanism work. The more both sides focus on practical cooperation, respect each other's legitimate interests and seek balanced solutions, the greater the chance that the consultation mechanism will deliver lasting benefits — not only for China and Europe, but also for the stability of the global economy.