International Relations: EU Trade Commissioner in talks with China

The European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has headed to China on a three-day visit to prepare the first high-level trade dialogue between the two trading powers.

The China Daily reports that during his visit, Mandelson planned to have his first meeting with the new Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming, aiming to take forward the establishment of an EU-China High Level Economic and Trade Mechanism, the commission said in a press release.

The mechanism, which was agreed at the last EU-China Summit in November, is designed for vice-premier level discussions on strategies in EU-China trade, investment and economic cooperation, and to coordinate bilateral projects, studies and develop plans in priority sectors.

It will cover issues affecting the trade imbalance, including effective market access, intellectual property rights, environment, high technology and energy, among others.