EU Commissioner Malmström spoke at the European Business Summit

Cecilia Malmström, the EU Commissioner for Trade, has welcomed China’s commitment to free trade but has said that further actions are needed.

Speaking at the European Business Summit in Brussels yesterday, Commissioner Malmström said barriers still exist for European businesses entering the Chinese market, and that China is still far away from a market economy.

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, and Li Keqiang, Premier of the People’s Republic of China, will meet at the 12^th EU-China Business Summit next week.

Commissioner Malmström and her co-speakers emphasised that more needs to be done to explain benefits of free trade, with the support of national governments.

The European Union is currently negotiating 20 trade deals. Talks with Australia and New Zealand will start soon. Negotiations with Japan are expected to be concluded by the end of this year.