BRUSSELS, Oct 5 — EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic will head to Beijing on Thursday for two days of make-or-break meetings with Chinese officials to try to stave off a trade war.
The European Union has toughened its stance towards Beijing to defend businesses against what it believes is unfair competition in critical sectors including cars.
Increasingly European leaders and observers warn of a "China Shock 2.0", used to describe Chinese firms' shift into more high-tech manufacturing, which is threatening many traditional EU industries.
The first shock in the early 2000s saw a glut of cheap, more low-tech exports from China hurt manufacturers not just in Europe but around the world.
EU and Chinese officials have been locked in talks since June to address Brussels' concerns about the current trade imbalance.
