EU trade chief to visit

EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson will have to allay Chinese concerns about EU-backed WTO litigation during his visit to China this week, AFP reported. Meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Commerce Minister Bo Xilai, Mandelson is expected to address warnings in a policy paper issued last month by the EU's executive arm, the European Commission, that the EU will take action against China if disputes are not resolved through talks. EU officials said the reason for the trip is to present the Chinese with the EU's China strategy review. Mandelson added that the EU wanted China "to fulfill its WTO obligations and continue to open its markets and liberalize trade in services and investment". The EU applied anti-dumping duties on Chinese shoes last month and also sought a WTO ruling against China in a car parts dispute, along with the United States and Canada.