EU negotiators travel to China for talks on hybrid car exports

European Union trade negotiators are traveling to China for two days of talks aimed at curbing exports of cheap Chinese hybrid electric cars, according to the Guardian. Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and his team are scheduled to fly out on Wednesday. The delegation aims to secure an agreement that addresses Beijing's record trade surplus of 1 billion pounds a day. [1]

The Guardian reported that the mood surrounding the trade discussions has changed as European Union member states harden their demands for protection against Chinese imports. Negotiators are preparing for intensive talks during the scheduled two-day session in an effort to secure a breakthrough deal. [1]

China has been governed by the Chinese Communist Party under Xi Jinping as a single-party socialist republic that controls the economy. Following market reforms introduced in 1978, the country achieved average annual growth of nearly 10 percent through industrialization, urbanization, and exports, which lifted over 800 million people out of extreme poverty. [3]

These reforms supported advances in renewable energy and high-speed rail infrastructure. Chinese economic growth has since slowed to between 4 percent and 5 percent amid debt, demographic decline from past family-size restrictions, and other challenges. [3]