China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with Roberto Vavassori, president of the Italian Association of the automotive industry, in Italy on Saturday to discuss the European Commission (EC)’s tariff against Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) and cooperation between China and Italy in the EV sector, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Sunday.
The meeting came ahead of Wang’s closely watched visit to Europe. The MOFCOM announced on Thursday that Wang will meet with EC Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis on September 19 to hold talks on the EC’s so-called anti-subsidy investigation and subsequent tariffs targeting the Chinese EV industry.
Experts noted that Wang’s trip will focus heavily on addressing the issue through dialogue and urged the EC to show sincerity in the talks.
The priority of China and the EU is to establish effective communication channels, finding common ground in the EV sector, and both sides need to respect each other’s positions, Sun Yanhong, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.
