On January 12, the Ministry of Commerce held a roundtable with over 20 Belgian companies accompanying Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on his visit to China. Commerce Minister Wang Wentao attended the meeting, heard from the businesses and responded to their concerns, and had a candid conversation on the important issues in China-Belgium and China-EU economic and trade cooperation. Ling Ji, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative, co-chaired the meeting.

Wang Wentao said the Ministry of Commerce will take active actions to implement the important consensus of the leaders of China and Belgium in the economic and trade field, and promote the healthy and stable development of economic and trade cooperation with Belgium and Europe at large, including cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises. He said the roundtable was the first of its kind in 2024 under the mechanism of the foreign enterprises roundtable, led by the Ministry of Commerce, which fully demonstrated China’s commitment to trade and economic relations with the EU. The trade mix between China and Belgium and between China and the EU is a result of multiple factors, including industrial structure, market demand and international trade conditions. China has never deliberately sought trade surplus, and has taken the initiative to expand imports, including those from the EU, through platforms such as the CIIE. China is ready to expand cooperation with the EU in the digital and innovation field, and hopes that the EU will promote trade balance and relax restrictions on high-tech exports. China’s new energy industry has made important contributions to the green transformation of the world and the EU. The EU’ claim of China’s overcapacity is groundless. China firmly opposes the EU’s decision to launch countervailing investigations into Chinese electric vehicles and hopes that the EU will support China's high-quality new energy products, which can contribute to global emission reduction. China always believes that enterprises should independently judge and manage risks in their operations and investment decisions. Excessive government intervention, forcing enterprises to reduce dependence on import, will only lead to more uncertainties and risks.

The Belgian companies attending the meeting were full of confidence in China's economic development prospects and business environment, and were grateful to the Ministry of Commerce for organizing the roundtable. They acknowledged China’s open and pragmatic approach and support for the development of foreign enterprises in China, and appreciated China’s positive response to questions and suggestions on trade and investment cooperation on agricultural and food products, bio-medicine and logistics. They also expressed readiness to further promote economic and trade cooperation between China and Belgium and between China and Europe.

(All information published on this website is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only.)