00:00Well, Bernard Jewett is chair of the Belgian Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
00:06I think this trip is very important.
00:09At a moment when we have a lot of frictions and trade frictions between EU and China,
00:17the visit of the Minister of Commerce from China is important to show that dialogue at the highest level is
00:27possible,
00:27is still wanted by the Chinese Party.
00:32And for the business community, it has an important significance because it means that we need to try to find
00:41common solution.
00:42We need to have more predictability and the business community is looking for that.
00:49Now, European officials have raised concerns about Europe's over-reliance on Chinese products
00:57and the further weakening of its own competitiveness, which they say contributes to rising trade tensions between Brussels and Beijing.
01:07From a business perspective, how serious do you think the risk is of a broader trade confrontation?
01:15The risk is there.
01:17The risk is there.
01:18There are a lot of concerns among some European countries, among some parts of the business community,
01:29that there is a fear.
01:32Fear to lose competition, to lose markets, to have the European market, I would say,
01:41invaded by Chinese products, killing the local producers.
01:48I think personally that fear should not govern our relations.
01:55We have also a certain number of countries that are willing to continue to develop business relations with China.
02:04There are a certain number of sectors also who are also very much involved with China,
02:12with Chinese companies, with Chinese counterparts, and who are willing to continue and to develop that.
02:18For instance, in the logistics sector, many companies are working with Chinese companies.
02:24There are various sectors, like also the green energy, the green business, where there are a lot of possibilities of
02:37cooperation.
02:38Therefore, I think that if some sectors are under tensions, that should not provide the business community,
02:52the politicians also, to try to find common solutions and to try to find agreements on trade.
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