A European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee delegation has finished a three-day visit to China, holding talks in Beijing and Shanghai on issues including Ukraine, trade, human rights and artificial intelligence.
The eight-member group was led by committee chair David McAllister and travelled from 21 to 23 July, the European Parliament announced on Thursday.
Meetings in Beijing included talks with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and senior figures from the National People’s Congress — China’s national legislature — including first vice-chairperson Li Hongzhong and Foreign Affairs Committee chairperson Lou Qinjian.
The delegation also met EU and member state ambassadors in Beijing, the EU Chamber of Commerce, and representatives of the International Department of the Communist Party of China, including Liu Haixing.
In Shanghai, the MEPs met municipal authorities including mayor Gong Zheng and saw practical applications of AI — a term commonly used for computer systems designed to perform tasks that would normally require human intelligence.
Calls on Ukraine, trade and rights
The delegation urged China to use its influence on Russia to press for a ceasefire in Ukraine and for a peace based on the UN Charter and Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within internationally recognised borders, the European Parliament said.
MEPs also called on China to stop transferring “dual-use” goods — items with both civilian and military applications — to entities supporting Russia’s war.
The group raised what it described as continued concerns about the human rights situation in China, according to the European Parliament.
On trade, the EU’s deficit with China has reached a record €1 billion per day, a situation the delegation described as unsustainable.
Both sides discussed cooperation on areas including climate action, the green transition and the governance of AI.
It was the first Foreign Affairs Committee visit since direct contacts between the European Parliament and Chinese authorities resumed last year.
