Why China’s diplomatic push may not be enough to secure EU investment deal
- Senior officials are touring various European countries ahead of next month’s virtual summit
- The two sides are trying to reach an investment treaty by the end of the year, but diplomatic sources say Beijing has yet to address a range of concerns

Beijing is facing pressure to address European concerns, but one observer warned that making a commitment to structural changes, a key condition, risked triggering demands for further reforms from the United States.
Yang Jiechi, the head of the Communist Party’s foreign affairs office, will travel to Greece and Spain next week, and possibly also Portugal. His trip follows foreign minister Wang Yi’s recent visit to Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, France and Germany.
The rare back-to-back trips come at a time when the US is pushing for support from its European allies over its stance towards China.
Europe has criticised China’s handling of the Covid-19 outbreak, its increasing combative diplomacy, its human rights records and the Hong Kong national security legislation.