NewzChina and the European Union have begun a fresh round of high-stakes trade talks in Beijing on Thursday amid widespread pessimism regarding a major breakthrough. Observers on both sides acknowledge that significant agreements are unlikely to emerge from the current discussions.
The talks coincide with a hardening stance from the EU on Chinese trade practices. This week, Germany and France urged the European bloc to adopt stronger defensive tools to protect European sectors impacted by a surge in Chinese imports.
Meanwhile, Chinese firms operating in Europe have expressed more modest expectations, indicating that they hope the ongoing negotiations will yield limited progress to help stabilize commercial relations between the two powers.
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