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European Union lawmakers have initiated their first parliamentary visit to China in eight years, using the opportunity to challenge Beijing over a surge of potentially dangerous products entering the bloc and insufficient access to the Chinese market.
The three-day visit, which commenced on Tuesday, follows closely on the heels of the EU’s agreement to overhaul its customs system.
This reform includes stricter measures against e-commerce platforms, predominantly Chinese, which could face significant fines for selling illegal or unsafe goods within the EU.
Currently, parcels valued under €150 ($173.42) are exempt from customs duty, a loophole that has fuelled the rapid growth of direct-to-consumer platforms such as Shein, Temu, and AliExpress.
A nine-member delegation, led by Anna Cavazzini, chair of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection committee, held discussions with senior officials from China‘s market regulator and members of the National People’s Congress in Beijing, according to updates posted on the EU committee’s X account.
Beijing has welcomed the engagement, viewing it as a chance to stabilise bilateral relations.
The EU currently does not apply customs duty on parcels valued at less than 150 euros ($173.42), an exemption that has fuelled the rapid growth of platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress, which ship consumer packages directly from China
This comes after China’s decision last year to lift sanctions on several EU lawmakers, a move widely interpreted as an effort to mitigate escalating trade tensions with the United States.
China had blacklisted 10 EU individuals and four entities in 2021, in retaliation for Brussels’ sanctions against Chinese officials over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
The EU delegation raised a broad set of concerns with Chinese lawmakers, including consumer and product safety, forced labour, the protection of minors online and EU companies’ access to the Chinese market, the European parliamentary body said.
At a meeting with China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, the lawmakers relayed their concerns on the “high influx of dangerous & non-compliant products coming from China,” and discussed areas of interest and cooperation such as the liability of online marketplaces and fostering fair competition.
The EU agreed to overhaul its customs system, including a crackdown on mainly Chinese e-commerce platforms that face potential fines if they sell illegal or unsafe products into the bloc. (AP)
The 27-nation bloc is seeking to coordinate collection of duties and safety checks as it struggles to manage the high volume of low-value e-commerce parcels entering the bloc, with the total reaching 5.8 billion in 2025.
The EU estimates more than 90 per cent of them come from China.
The EU delegation is expected to meet with representatives from Shein, Alibaba and Temu during their visit.
The meeting with Shein will follow an investigation in February over sale of child-like sex dolls on the platform.