Boris Johnson, British politicia, journalist and historian, campaigned heavily for Britain's withdrawal from the EU. (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese officials attended the latest talks with the members of the EU. The Chinese officials were interested in hearing the perspective of the EU after Britain's exit.
Members of the EU wanted to discuss the possibility of expanding the Chinese market. Since the exit of Britain from the EU, this was the first meeting held between European leaders and China.
EU ambassador to China Hans-Dietmar Schweisgut said, "The Chinese side will wish to hear the assessment of Brexit, its implications for Europe and possible impact on China-EU relations."
The EU is China's biggest trading partner. On a daily basis, EU buys about a billion euros worth of exports. China has invested $23 million in the Union.
However, China is apprehensive about its trade relations with Britain. China has worked to improve relations with them and the Brexit might bring issues between the two countries.
Former Chinese Vice-Minister for commerce, Wei Jiangao, said, ""It is a very good time for bilateral cooperation."
Shweisgut admitted that the impact of the Brexit will be a topic of discussion. However, he said that "both sides had strong interests...to strengthen economic and trade relations."
EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malstrom expressed that China should give European companies equal opportunities with their Chinese competitors.
Germany wanted to discuss Beijing's cybersecurity law. German Ambassador to China Michael Clauss said that the second version submitted by China was unsatisfactory.
"We are still concerned about a potential obligation to disclose encryption codes, a possible stipulation to localise data on servers in China, or potential controls over data transfers abroad," he said.
Clauss added, "The Chinese government needs to give a clear commitment that data security will definitely be guaranteed and this must be reflected in the cyber security law."
