China, EU agree to solve PV dispute through negotiation

China and the EU have agreed to solve an ongoing trade dispute involving photovoltaic (PV) products through "price undertaking" talks, Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said Friday.

Gao made the remarks after a ministerial-level meeting held between the two sides on the same day. Issues concerning bilateral trade and economic cooperation were discussed at the meeting, including the PV issue.

EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said the EU hopes to solve the issue in a friendly way.

Earlier this month, the EU imposed an interim anti-dumping duty of 11.8 percent on imports of all Chinese solar panel products, including panels, cells and wafers. The duty may be raised to an average of 47.6 percent two months after going into effect if both sides fail to come to an agreement.

The Chinese government and PV enterprises have kept close contact with the European Commission regarding "price undertaking" talks.

China has urged the EU to keep overall China-EU cooperation in mind and take a pragmatic attitude.

Prior to the meeting, Commerce Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said China and the EU should embrace the opportunity to unite their efforts and reach a mutually acceptable agreement.