France's Diplomatic Push to Ease EU-China Trade Tensions

France's foreign minister plans a two-day visit to China to address escalating trade tensions. The BNIC's head highlighted a significant drop in China-bound cognac exports due to tariffs. The visit aims to negotiate better trade conditions between the EU and Beijing.

France's foreign minister is scheduled to embark on a diplomatic mission to China on March 27 and 28, in a bid to alleviate ongoing trade frictions, announced Florent Morillon, head of the BNIC cognac lobby group, on Wednesday.

The minister's visit comes amid pressing concerns over a noticeable 60% decline in cognac exports to China in the past four months, attributed to new tariffs imposed by Beijing. "We are taken hostage in this trade dispute," Morillon stated during a recent press briefing.

This development underscores the urgency for improved trade relations between the European Union and China, as stakeholders push for negotiations to resolve the escalating trade barriers.

(With inputs from agencies.)