European Commission's top trade envoy, Maroš Šefčovič, is in China for a two-day meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. The talks come as the EU seeks to narrow its 360-billion-euro trade deficit with China, with an October deadline set earlier this year for meaningful results. On the eve of the talks, the European Parliament voted 454-86 on a resolution calling for economic reciprocity and a proportionate EU response if China does not open its markets. Separately, France and Germany have called for a rethink of the EU's China policy, proposing easier use of the bloc's "trade bazooka" (anti-coercion instrument) to block trade and investment from countries exerting undue pressure. China's Commerce Ministry expressed hope this week that France and Germany would uphold open cooperation and free trade, warning against protectionist measures and decoupling.