Story perspectives

China Cancels EU Digital Dialogue Amid €1 B Daily Deficit

6/12/2026

Summary

China Cancels Talks

China cancelled a ministerial digital dialogue and a meeting with EU deputy secretary-general Olof Skoog on June 11, 2026.
Spokesperson Lin Jian said China and the EU remain in communication about the cancelled talks.
The European Commission warned that the EU faces a trade deficit of €1 billion per day and a Q1 2026 deficit of €98 billion, leading to anti-dumping probes and sanctions on Chinese firms.

Summary

China Cancels Dialogue

China abruptly cancelled the digital dialogue meeting with senior EU diplomat Olof Skoog as a calibrated diplomatic signal.
The cancellation signals Beijing’s displeasure with EU trade policy while avoiding escalation that would force Brussels to respond.
Dropping the dialogue shows China’s readiness to freeze low-level technical cooperation to press its demands.
Financial Times sources say both sides use last-minute cancellations to signal policy dissatisfaction and apply pressure through absence.

History

Historical Context

2010 saw the European Commission, under Commissioner Günter Verheugen, launch an anti-dumping probe into Chinese solar panels worth €1.2 billion, later imposing duties averaging 47.7% per EU rules. DG Trade’s non-market-economy view of China shaped the case. In June 2026 China cancelled a dialogue with EU trade chief Olof Skoog, echoing the earlier confrontation and raising Sino-European tensions.

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China Cancels Talks

China cancelled a ministerial digital dialogue and a meeting with EU deputy secretary-general Olof Skoog on June 11, 2026.
Spokesperson Lin Jian said China and the EU remain in communication about the cancelled talks.
The European Commission warned that the EU faces a trade deficit of €1 billion per day and a Q1 2026 deficit of €98 billion, leading to anti-dumping probes and sanctions on Chinese firms.

1 / 3