China and the European Union held discussions on subjects including AI, cross-border data flow, and information and communication technology in Beijing on Monday, as Reuters reported. The conversations were part of the EU-China High-level Digital Dialogue, co-chaired by China’s Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing and the European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova, the report said. It is the first such dialogue in three years and takes place after the European Commission’s announcement on September 13 of an investigation into potential punitive tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to safeguard EU producers. During the talks on Monday, the European Commission conveyed concerns about the difficulties faced by EU companies in China to make use of their industrial data, while Vice Premier Zhang emphasized China’s openness to companies worldwide, including those from Europe, to share the opportunities presented by its digital economy for mutually beneficial outcomes, as reported by the state-run Xinhua news agency. Both parties agreed to foster an environment that is open, equitable, and free from discrimination to support the development of the digital economy, as per Xinhua. [Reuters; Xinhua, in Chinese]
