The EU wants to seal an investment deal with Beijing by next year as it tries to broker a more coherent approach to China to curb growing internal divisions within the bloc.
European countries will use a summit with China next month to push for progress on the bilateral investment accord, which has been years in preparation and would spell out the sectors that would be open to foreign companies. The EU also wants greater transparency in how Beijing invests in infrastructure overseas, according to draft conclusions for the meeting seen by the Financial Times.
Italy’s talks to sign a deal backing Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), its contentious global investment drive, have added urgency to EU efforts to unify its position on Beijing.