During Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Serbia last week, the two governments announced that their bilateral trade agreement will enter into force on July 1, covering goods such as autos, solar modules, and lithium batteries.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently announced that China will lift a two-decade long ban on Spanish beef, while calling for China and Spain to work together to provide a "fair, just and non-discriminatory" business environment.

China and Serbia signed a free trade agreement (FTA) this week, as the bilateral trade between the two has risen in recent years. Serbia's possible accession to the European Union, however, puts the future of the FTA in question.

Two Chinese battery materials makers recently announced investment plans in Europe and Africa to meet the growing global demand.

Over the weekend, China's Vice Premier He Lifeng and Germany's federal minister of finance Christian Lindner co-chaired the third financial dialogue in Frankfurt. The two sides made commitments on trade, investment, and regulatory cooperation.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani visited China this week, and issues related to bilateral trade and the Beijing-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) were among the topics discussed.

Chinese customs officials met with their Belgian counterparts last month and reached a number of agreements that will pave the way for more Belgian food exports. This came after China lifted a decade-long import ban on Belgian beef due to mad cow disease.