On August 27th, the Global Economic Governance 50 Forum (GEG50) held a closed-door seminar titled “The Impact of the EU Elections on China's Trade and Investment Policies”, focusing on the evolving political and economic dynamics of EU-China relations. The seminar featured prominent speakers, including Marek Belka, the Polish economist and former Prime Minister of Poland; Giovanni Tria, the honorary professor at University of Rome Tor Vergata and former Minister of Economy and Finance of Italy; Joël Ruet, Chairman of The Bridge Tank in France; Xinquan Tu, Dean of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE); and Yuyan Zhang, the former Director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP) at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). The seminar was chaired by Xiaoyan Zhang, the Associate Dean of the PBC School of Finance at Tsinghua University. Over 40 guests, including expert members of the GEG 50, as well as faculty and alumni representatives of the PBC School of Finance at Tsinghua University, attended the event.
Marek Belka analyzed the shifts in public policy and international relations from the perspective of EU's political environment following the elections. He noted that the EU's external relations are becoming more pragmatic, with political elites paying closer attention to the Chinese economy and contemplating how to engage in constructive cooperation amidst competition. Giovanni Tria emphasized the importance of distinguishing between the economic and political factors in EU-China relations, advocating for enhanced economic and trade cooperation between China and the EU. He argued that China holds significant advantages over the EU in areas such as artificial intelligence and capital supply, and that the EU should seek to attract more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from China to foster mutual development. Joël Ruet discussed the changes in economic globalization, EU-China bilateral relations, and the EU's political landscape. He suggested that in the context of global trade challenges, EU-China economic cooperation could increasingly shift towards investment, with the potential for a renewed Sino-European investment and trade agreement once the EU adjusts its internal policies. Xinquan Tu shared insights on “Common Interests between China and the EU in WTO Reforms.” He highlighted the potential for EU-China collaboration on WTO reform issues, such as the dispute settlement mechanism, and the possibility of resolving trade disputes within the multilateral WTO framework through a procedural approach, encouraging mutual investment by building trust and providing bilateral assurances. Yuyan Zhang discussed the status of the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) and new areas of EU-China cooperation. He proposed that China could unilaterally implement parts of the CAI as a means to restart the agreement and emphasized the need for increased cooperation between China and the EU within international rule-making and the multilateral WTO framework, while minimizing the negative impact of politics on EU-China economic and trade relations.
During the discussion session, distinguished guests including Shoulong Mao, Executive Vice Dean of the School of Public Administration at Renmin University of China; Liqing Zhang, former Dean of the School of Finance at the Central University of Finance and Economics; Yixin Liang, Deputy Director of the Industrial Economics Research Institute at the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT); Paweł Kowalewski, an economist at the National Bank of Poland; and Yanan Wu, CEO of Surfin Group, actively engaged in discussions on topics such as the development of service trade, FDI investment directions, cross-border personnel exchanges, geopolitical influences, and reform initiatives between China and the EU.
The seminar was hosted by the Global Economic Governance 50 Forum and organized by the PBC School of Finance at Tsinghua University.
The Global Economic Governance 50 Forum is committed to conducting independent, forward-looking and academically supported policy research on the improvement and reform of the global economic governance system, and providing solutions on how China better engages in global economic governance.
