EU leaders ask Brussels to come up with new trade weapons to counter China shock

AI Summary

EU national leaders have asked the Brussels executive to develop new trade instruments to counter economic threats from China, following an intense summit discussion about Beijing. The EU aims to fix persistent trade issues and potentially augment its trade defense and industrial policy toolbox.

European Union national leaders have asked Brussels to come up with new trade instruments to deal with the economic threat posed by China, following a rare summit debate about Beijing late on Thursday night. After a two-hour discussion, the EU’s executive branch was told to engage with China to try to fix the persistent trade problems, according to a Brussels official. But it was also instructed “to develop and eventually complement the toolbox in the area of trade defence and industrial policy...