The EU and China should work to reach a “negotiated resolution” to provide “stability and predictability” for the global economy in the face of US tariffs, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has said after a call with China’s Premier Li Qiang.
US President Donald Trump has roiled global financial markets with his announcement of sweeping tariffs, prompting China and the EU to table retaliatory measures that risk a full-blown global trade conflict.
Brussels officials want to ensure co-operation with Beijing as they aim to contain any escalation and limit the damage to the European economy, given the huge size of their respective markets and the large volumes of goods shipped between the EU, US and China.