EU chief will urge 'fair' China competition in Paris talks with Xi

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Monday she will press for "fair" competition with China in talks with its President Xi Jinping, who is in Paris on a state visit.

"We have to act to make sure that competition is fair and not distorted," she said in remarks issued hours before a face-to-face Paris meeting between her, Xi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

She added that, previously with Xi, "I have made clear that the current imbalances in market access are not sustainable and need to be addressed".

Von der Leyen's European Commission, the European Union's authority on trade issues, has opened a slew of competition probes targeting China in recent months.

Beijing has reacted furiously to the most recent investigation, into suspected inequitable access to China's medical devices market, calling it a sign of EU "protectionism".

China is also angry at an EU probe into Chinese wind turbine suppliers for the European market. Other Brussels investigations have focused on Chinese subsidies for solar panels, electric vehicles (EVs) and trains.

Von der Leyen reiterated the EU's position that it "should derisk its relations, but not decouple from China" -- meaning reducing the dependence on Chinese suppliers but not going as far as the United States in penalising or blocking trade streams in key sectors.

"We have been very clear-eyed about our relationship with China, which is one of the most complex, but also one of the most important," the commission president said.

"Europe cannot accept such market distorting practices that could lead to de-industrialisation in Europe."

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