Discussions also covered medical device access and export controls
China and the European Union said they reached an understanding on trade in hybrid vehicles that complies with World Trade Organization rules, following Friday meetings in Beijing between the EU’s top trade negotiator and his Chinese counterpart. The Wall Street Journal, which attributed the announcement to a joint statement issued by the two sides, reported the parties also “progressed trade talks in other areas” beyond the hybrid vehicle discussion.
The hybrid-vehicle understanding is one of 16 areas in which Brussels and Beijing had sought to make progress, according to the WSJ report. The other areas included market access for medical devices and export controls.
The two sides said the hybrid vehicle understanding is in compliance with WTO rules, the WSJ reported, citing the joint statement. The WSJ’s report did not name either trade negotiator.
Edith Hancock, the WSJ’s Brussels-based competition enforcement reporter, wrote the report. Hancock covers European competition enforcement for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal from Brussels, and previously worked as a competition reporter for Politico Europe. She holds master’s degrees in business and economics journalism from Columbia University and in interactive journalism from City University in London.
The WSJ report did not detail the specific terms of the hybrid vehicle understanding or set a timeline for implementation. The two sides did not immediately announce a follow-up meeting in the report.