EU, China trade chiefs to hold call as talks near crunch time

European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič will hold a videoconference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao on Thursday, a Commission spokesperson confirmed to POLITICO. The call will take place on Sept. 17, Olof Gill, deputy chief spokesperson for the Commission, said Monday. Brussels has stepped up engagement with Chinese officials over the summer as it seeks to reduce the EU’s roughly €1 billion-a-day trade deficit with the Asian giant. The EU executive is under pressure to present the results of its intensified outreach with Beijing during a mid-October summit of EU leaders.