German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck shakes hands with National Development and Reform Commission Chairman Zheng Shanjie before a meeting in Beijing, China June 22, 2024. — Reuters picSHANGHAI, June 23 — China and the European Union have agreed to start talks on the planned imposition of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles being imported into the European market, senior officials of both sides said yesterday.
The minister had said earlier yesterday that the European Union’s door was open for discussions regarding EU tariffs on Chinese exports. Another point of tension between Beijing and Berlin is China’s support for Russia in its war in Ukraine. Habeck noted Chinese trade with Russia increased more than 40 per cent last year.
Countries such as the US, Brazil and Turkey had used punitive tariffs, but not the EU, he said. “Europe does things differently.” Proposed EU duties on Chinese-made EVs would hurt both sides, Zheng added. He told Habeck he hoped Germany would demonstrate leadership within the EU and “do the correct thing”.