A roundtable for the Chinese-European semiconductor upstream and downstream enterprises is held in Beijing on May 27, 2025. Photo: Ministry of Commerce

In recent days, there is a growing number of positive signs suggesting that China and the EU are intensifying efforts to strengthen bilateral economic and trade ties amid turbulence in global trade due to US tariffs. 

In the latest development, a roundtable meeting for Chinese and European semiconductor upstream and downstream enterprises was held in Beijing on Tuesday, focusing on exchanges to deepen cooperation in the semiconductor sector between China and Europe, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce of China (MOFCOM).

Officials from MOFCOM, the China Semiconductor Industry Association, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, and more than 40 Chinese and European semiconductor companies attended the meeting.

The roundtable emphasized that both China and Europe hold significant positions in the global semiconductor supply chain, and consequently, strengthening cooperation is in the mutual interest of both parties, read the MOFCOM statement.

China supports Chinese and European semiconductor firms in leveraging their complementary strengths, deepening cooperation in accordance with laws and regulations, firmly opposing unilateralism and hegemonic practices, and striving to maintain the security and stability of the global semiconductor supply chain, said MOFCOM.

Participants unanimously agreed that the global semiconductor supply chain now faces severe challenges. The roundtable provided a good platform for Chinese and European semiconductor companies to enhance understanding, boost trade confidence, and deepen exchanges and partnership. Strengthened cooperation in the semiconductor sector between China and Europe will help inject new momentum into the recovery and growth of the global economy, said MOFCOM.

The roundtable meeting comes as Chinese and EU officials are stepping up exchanges recently, in an apparent effort to boost bilateral economic and trade cooperation. 

On May 26, the Global Times learned from a source that Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao will meet EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic on the sidelines of a WTO ministerial meeting in Paris, France in early June.

"The two sides will conduct in-depth exchanges on the important topic of China-EU economic and trade cooperation, and make preparations for China-EU high-level exchanges," the source told the Global Times. 

This follows recent high-level meetings between Chinese and EU officials. The China-EU Working Group on Financial Cooperation held its second meeting between May 13 and 14 in Brussels. Meanwhile, the 10th China-France High Level Economic and Financial Dialogue was held in France on May 15.

Growing China-EU exchanges also come amid profound disruptions and uncertainty the US' tariffs have created for global trade.

"Given the growing protectionism and unilateralism from certain Western countries, it is necessary for China and the EU - both firm supporters of the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core and main force in supporting economic globalization and free trade - to strengthen dialogue and appropriately deal with their differences to push forward their economic relations, which will inject certainty into the world economy amid turbulence," Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times.


Global Times