On May 28, 2026, the International Symposium on China–EU Economic Relations in an Era of Global Disorder, hosted by the School of Law of Xi’an Jiaotong University, was held in Xi’an. The symposium was convened by Professor Peter Van den Bossche, Distinguished Professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University and former Member of the WTO Appellate Body. More than thirty leading WTO law experts from China and Europe attended the event. Participants included Mr. Yi Xiaozhun, former WTO Deputy Director-General; Mr. John Clarke, former Ambassador of the European Union to the WTO; Mr. Simon Manley, former Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the WTO; Mr. Ujal Bhatia, former Ambassador of India to the WTO; as well as several officials from the European Commission. WTO Chairholder Professor Tu Xinquan and PhD candidate Wang Yu from UIBE were invited to participate in the symposium.

During the thematic discussions, Prof. Tu noted that China–EU trade relations in technology-intensive sectors have become increasingly complex, with both sides placing greater emphasis on security, fair competition, and industrial competitiveness. He argued that China’s leadership in areas such as green energy and the resulting transformation of market structures have been driven primarily by the rapid adoption of new technologies by private enterprises rather than by policy favoritism. Professor Tu further observed that the stringent local content requirements and investment screening provisions contained in the EU’s European Industrial Acceleration Act display clear discriminatory features. Coupled with regulatory fragmentation among EU member states, these measures have substantially increased compliance burdens for businesses and may discourage Chinese investment in Europe. He therefore called on the EU to adhere strictly to WTO rules, refrain from discriminatory policies and the misuse of trade rules, and work jointly to safeguard the predictability of cross-border trade and investment.

The symposium brought together experts from government and academia from both China and Europe to engage in in-depth discussions on key issues in bilateral economic and trade relations. The exchanges enhanced mutual understanding and policy dialogue, strengthened consensus on upholding openness, cooperation, and multilateralism, and provided a valuable platform for promoting the sound and stable development of China–EU economic relations and advancing cooperation in global economic governance.