Maros Sefcovic, the European Union's trade chief, is due in Beijing on Thursday for two days of meetings with Chinese officials that are being billed as make-or-break, part of an effort to prevent a trade war, Arab News reports.
The EU has taken a tougher line toward Beijing as it seeks to shield its businesses from what it regards as unfair competition in critical industries, automobiles among them.
European leaders and observers have increasingly warned of what they call "China Shock 2.0," a term used to describe Chinese companies' shift into more advanced, high-tech manufacturing.
The talks in the Chinese capital are aimed at keeping the dispute between the two trading powers from escalating further.
