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.

China's trade with Africa grew by 20 times over the past two decades, according to data released by the Chinese government. And over the weekend, 120 projects amounting to $10.3 billion in value were signed at the third China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo. In addition, sanitary and

Chinese customs officials visited Poland last week and set the foundation to allow the resumption of imports of Polish beef, as well as market access for Polish berries and pet food.

Beijing announced today that it will resume imports of sugar apples from Taiwan. This is a mini-step toward the thawing of economic relations across the strait, although trade frictions over agricultural goods are broader and will require more time and effort to resolve.

On June 15, China's customs agency lifted decade-long bans on Polish and Belgian beef. The impact of the announcement on trade in these products remains an open question.

As a follow up to the Xi-Macron meeting in April.

As a follow up to the Macron-Xi meeting earlier this month, the Chinese government recently started the domestic process of allowing more French food imports, and moved ahead with the regulatory process for two French GI applications.