EU Chief Demands China Address Trade Imbalance as Tensions Flare

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused China of distorting trade and limiting access for European firms two weeks ahead of a summit between the economic powers.

“If our partnership is to move forward, we need a genuine rebalancing: fewer market distortions, less overcapacity exported from China, and fair, reciprocal access for European businesses in China,” von der Leyen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

Beijing has imposed export controls on rare earth magnets, hitting European Union industries hard and compounding an increasingly unbalanced trading relationship. The move has dashed signs of a thaw earlier this year ...