No strain on EU-China trade relations: experts

Despite the ongoing solar dispute between Europe and China, the European microtechnology industry saw no cause for concern about the outlook of bilateral trade relations, a poll result showed on Tuesday.

In a poll made by IVAM Microtechnology Network, a Dortmund-based 300-member association in the industry of microtechnology, 57 percent of participating experts from the industry do not expect that the current dispute will put a strain on the trade relations. Only 13 percent supposed that the conflict about punitive duties will have a lasting impact on bilateral trade.

The experts call the current conflict, which was sparked by EU commission's decision to impose punitive duties on solar modules from China, a "political poker" and a momentary overreaction and will finally come to an agreement.

There is interest not to impose long-term restriction on free trade, said the association in a statement.

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.

Since then, Chinese government and photovoltaic (PV) enterprises have kept close contact with the European Commission regarding price undertaking talks.

"Both sides are sincerely engaged in working towards an amicable solution," EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said at the press conference following a session of China-EU Trade and Economic Joint Committee in Beijing on Friday.

China and the EU both hope to solve the dispute involving PV products through price undertaking talks, Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said in the same press conference, adding that he hopes both sides can adopt a pragmatic and flexible approach and strengthen coordination and collaboration in order to arrive at a balanced, reasonable and mutually acceptable price undertaking deal.