EU-China trade and economic relations have expanded dramatically over the past three decades. Today, China is the European Union's second largest trading partner and the EU is China's largest trading partner. A close strategic partnership is in the interest of both the EU and China and China's integration into the global trading system can only continue to benefit both sides.

The EU-China Trade Project (EUCTP) was launched in 2004 by the European Commission and the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China to bring EU-China trade relations and mutual understanding even closer by supporting China's continued integration into the world trading system and assisting its institutional, policy and regulatory reform process.

As the EU’s largest trade-related technical assistance project worldwide with EUR 20.6 million in joint funding over five years, the EUCTP reflects the growing scope and ever increasing importance of EU-China trade relations. Overall, the EU’s co-operation portfolio in China includes over 100 projects covering social and economic reform, sustainable development and good governance with a current budget of more than EUR 200 million.

The EUCTP comprises six linked components covering the main sectors of international trade and associated horizontal issues. All components are designed to assist China in implementing its WTO commitments, to strengthen China’s general trade-related capacity and to promote closer trade relations with the EU.

In line with these objectives, the EUCTP supports initiatives and priorities identified under the EU-China trade dialogues between the European Commission and the People’s Republic of China. Among many, these include dialogues on Intellectual Property Rights, Industrial Policy, Competition Policy, Government Procurement, Agriculture, and Customs as well as the Sustainable Trade Taskforce.

In practice, the EUCTP organises a range of activities including conferences, seminars and workshops, training programmes and studies as well as study visits to Europe and internship placements. These activities are motivated by necessity and reach a wide spectrum of Chinese beneficiaries.