On their first visit in eight years, EU parliamentarians in China called for more control over the export of Chinese goods. “We have also said several times that it would be important for exports to be more closely controlled by the Chinese side,” said the chairwoman of the Internal Market Committee in the EU Parliament, Anna Cavazzini (Greens), in Beijing. It is important for companies to comply with the law and to adapt their policies to ongoing proceedings and to do so more quickly than has previously been the case.
After Beijing, the nine-member group from the Committee for the Internal Market and Consumer Protection also wants to visit the eastern Chinese economic metropolis of Shanghai and meet with representatives of the online giant Alibaba and the e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu.
Following the scandal surrounding the sale of child-looking sex dolls, the European Commission initiated proceedings against Shein. Temu is also suspected by the Brussels authorities of not adhering to EU rules.
The EU has also long criticized the flood of cheap goods from China reaching the European economic area. According to the Commission, e-commerce imports into the EU via online marketplaces such as Temu, Shein, Alibaba and others increased significantly to 4.6 billion small packages in 2024. According to EU information, 91 percent came from China.
End of the “visiting ice age”?
This is the first time in eight years that a delegation from the EU Parliament is in China. Previously, there had been an ice age in mutual relations due to trade disputes, China’s relations with Russia in the Ukraine war and other issues. Last year, Beijing lifted sanctions against some EU parliamentarians.
Beijing’s foreign office welcomed the trip to China. “We believe the visit will promote exchanges and cooperation between legislative institutions,” spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing. He will improve understanding of China and promote the development of EU-China relations.
