BEIJING/SHANGHAI—The European Union on Nov. 1 called for China to take concrete steps to further open its market to foreign firms and provide a level playing field, saying it would not sign up to any political statement at next week’s major import fair in Shanghai.
Critics see the China International Import Expo (CIIE), which is set to run from Nov. 5 to 10, as an ill-conceived event that is less about business and more about political posturing amid trade tensions between China and the United States.
