China's commerce chief, Wang Wentao, used separate meetings on Friday to press two leading European corporate figures to engage with Brussels over trade rules, according to a government statement.
Wang met with Ola Källenius, who serves as chairman of the Mercedes-Benz Group and also leads the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. During that discussion, Wang asked the automaker and Europe's car industry to speak up in favour of revising what he described as improper rules within the EU trade framework.
In the statement, Wang said that EU trade restrictions containing protectionist features have damaged economic ties between China and the European Union. He framed the appeal as a request for industry-level advocacy to influence the bloc's trade policy.
In a separate engagement, Wang spoke with Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury. There, he conveyed China's hope that Airbus will seek broader expansion by pursuing "win-win cooperation," and he encouraged the company to take a constructive stance in urging the EU to address outstanding differences through dialogue and consultation.
The two meetings illustrate Beijing's strategy of engaging major multinational firms as channels to communicate its position on trade measures and to encourage conflict resolution between national and regional policymakers.
Below are the key elements reported from Wang's conversations with the executives:
- Appeal to Mercedes-Benz: Wang asked Ola Källenius and the European auto industry to support efforts to revise EU trade rules that Beijing considers improper.
- Appeal to Airbus: Wang urged Airbus to pursue growth via mutually beneficial cooperation and to help promote EU-China dialogue to resolve differences.
- Core concern: Wang asserted that EU measures with protectionist aspects have harmed bilateral economic ties.
The government statement does not provide additional detail on the specific rules Beijing wants revised, the timeline for any action, or how the firms responded to the requests. It also does not outline any formal mechanism for companies to engage with EU policymakers on the issue.
Given the limited information released, the extent to which Mercedes-Benz, the broader European automotive sector, Airbus, or the EU will act on Wang's appeals remains unclear. The announcement confines itself to the minister's reported requests without detailing next steps.