MEPs are traveling to China with a focus on the digital economy. The visit will allow European legislators to gain a deeper understanding of China's innovative technology sector and e-commerce dominance, while also examining how EU rules are being implemented in practice.

The nine-member delegation, led by Anna Cavazzini , Chair of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, will visit Beijing and Shanghai from March 31 to April 2. This is the first parliamentary delegation to China in eight years and represents an important opportunity to address shared challenges in the digital and e-commerce sectors and promote fair competition between the EU and China.

MEPs are expected to outline the EU's position on digital regulation, strategic autonomy, and the security of digital markets, with a particular focus on strengthening consumer protection and product safety.

One of the Internal Market Committee's main concerns is the systematic violations of EU laws and the high volume of small, non-compliant parcels arriving from non-EU online platforms, including China. MEPs are expected to emphasize the need for all traders, regardless of their location, to comply with EU product safety rules.

In Beijing, the delegation will meet with political leaders, including Shen Chunyao , Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and Luo Wen , Minister of State Administration for Market Regulation. The MEPs will also visit the EU Chamber of Commerce to discuss online trade and the market access challenges faced by European companies in China.

The delegation will discuss consumer and product safety standards with e-commerce giants Shein and Alibaba. In Shanghai, MEPs will continue discussions with Temu on compliance with EU rules on the digital market and fair competition. They will also have the opportunity to gain a first-hand experience of Chinese customs controls and import/export activities at the strategic Pudong International Airport, together with the Chinese customs administration and a local logistics company.

The MEPs participating in the delegation are Anna Cavazzini (Greens/EFA, Germany), Chair of the IMCO Committee and head of the delegation; Andreas Schwab (EPP, Germany); Dirk Gotink (EPP, Netherlands); Christel Schaldemose (S&D, Denmark); Pierre Jouvet (S&D, France); Virginie Joron (EFA, France); Piotr Muller (ECR, Poland); Stephanie Yon-Courtin (Renew, France); and Engin Eroglu (Renew, Germany), Chair of the Parliament's delegation to China.

China, it should be remembered, is the EU's third-largest trading partner (after the United States and the United Kingdom) and its second-largest in goods. The EU's trade deficit with China is growing: it will reach €305.8 billion in 2024, with imports consisting primarily of machinery, vehicles, and other manufactured goods.

The economic relationship between the EU and China is perceived as unbalanced, due to a significant asymmetry in their respective market openings. According to the Commission, e-commerce imports of products into the EU have soared through online sales platforms (e.g., Temu, Shein, Alibaba), with 4.6 billion small parcels entering the EU market in 2024, 91% of which originated in China. In 2025, the Safety Gate system recorded 4,671 alerts on dangerous products, 2,006 of which concerned products originating in China.