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The European Union is under pressure from China. China wants the E.U. to make a solid joint statement against President Donald Trump’s trade policies. European officials said that China wants this to happen at a summit later in July, but that the E.U. isn't willing.

The European Union Refused the Offer

In meetings in Berlin, Beijing, and Brussels, top Chinese officials proposed an alliance between China and the E.U. State Councilor Wang Yi, Vice Premier Liu He, and other senior Chinese officials proposed this alliance and offered to open more of the Chinese market for the EU.

They also stated that they would like the European Union and China to take joint action against the U.S. at the World Trade Organization.

But the European Union is the world’s largest trading bloc, and they rejected this idea of allying with China against the U.S. Five E.U. diplomats and officials reported this to the media as the Sino-European summit is expected to happen on July 16-17 in Beijing.

What Can We Expect to Happen?

Experts expect that this summit will produce a modest statement. E.U. officials said that they expect that the communiqué they make will affirm the commitment of both sides to the trading system. It will also promise to make a working group to modernize the WTO.

Liu He is the Vice Premier of China. He said that China is ready to announce what sectors the country can open for European investments at the summit. Xi Jinping, Chinese President, Li Kequiang, Chinese Premier, and top E.U. officials said that they will attend the summit.

Chinese state media already promoted rhetoric that the European Union will be on China’s side, according to the officials. This is putting the E.U. in a delicate position. The annual summits in 2016 and 2017 ended without making a statement. That was because of disagreements over trade and the South China Sea.

A European diplomat said that China wants the E.U. to fight Washington with them, but that the E.U. is not going to side with China.

Experts say that China and the E.U. are taking different negotiating positions with the U.S. China is aggressively threatening to raise tariffs. The E.U., however, is waiting to see how the global trade situation shakes out. Then, they will take action if they feel they need to.