随着中国和欧盟周四在北京开启新一轮贸易谈判，双方观察者似乎就一点达成共识：取得重大突破的可能性不大。
As China and the European Union began a fresh round of trade talks in Beijing on Thursday, observers on both sides appeared to agree on one thing: a big breakthrough was unlikely.
在欧洲的中国企业表示，希望谈判能取得一些“有限进展”，以有助于稳定贸易关系；而欧洲分析人士则对潜在结果保持谨慎态度。
Chinese firms based in Europe said they hoped the talks could achieve some “limited progress” to help stabilise the trade relationship, while European analysts remained cautious about the potential outcome.
一位了解谈判情况的中国消息人士称：“他们肯定会取得一些成果”，并补充说欧盟贸易委员马罗什·谢夫乔维奇“不会空手而归”。
“They’re bound to get some results,” said a Chinese source with knowledge of the talks, adding that EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic “will not go home empty-handed”.
中国欧盟商会呼吁双方充分利用贸易与投资磋商（TIC）机制，管理分歧，推动解决方案，并向企业发出更明确的信号。
The China Chamber of Commerce to the EU called on both sides to make full use of the Trade and Investment Consultations (TIC) mechanism to manage differences, push for solutions and send clearer signals to businesses.
一家在欧洲的中国可再生能源公司高管表示：“即使是能提升可预测性、降低进一步升级风险的有限进展，对欧洲和中国的企业而言也具有重要意义。”
“Even limited progress that improves predictability and reduces the risk of further escalation would be meaningful for companies in both Europe and China,” said an executive at a Chinese renewable energy firm in Europe.
另一位驻欧中国高管表示，汽车、医疗器械和化工行业的中国企业正为未来几个月可能加剧的贸易摩擦做准备。
Chinese firms in the automotive, medical equipment and chemical products industries are bracing for more trade frictions in the months ahead, according to another Chinese executive based on the continent.
隶属于中国中央电视台的社交媒体账号“玉渊潭天”周三发表文章，呼吁双方“保持战略耐心”，并指出当前谈判使中国和欧盟能够通过联合监测机制，共同核查插电式混合动力汽车和化工等领域的贸易流量。
Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account affiliated with state broadcaster China Central Television, published an article on Wednesday urging both sides to “maintain strategic patience” and said current negotiations enabled China and the EU to “verify trade flows in sectors such as plug-in hybrid vehicles and chemicals together through a joint monitoring mechanism”.
欧洲方面许多人同意，谈判破裂不符合任何一方的利益，但强调谢夫乔维奇将面临压力，需要带回重大成果以满足欧洲政策制定者的期望。
Many on the European side agree that it is in no one’s interest for talks to break down, but stress that Sefcovic will be under pressure to bring back significant results to satisfy policymakers in Europe.
随着对“中国冲击2.0”可能摧毁其工业基础的担忧加剧，欧洲对欧盟与中国贸易谈判中感知到的进展不足日益感到沮丧。
With concerns rising that a “China shock 2.0” could decimate its industrial base, frustration has grown in Europe over a perceived lack of progress in the EU’s trade discussions with China.
周一，法国和德国提出了一项“快速响应”贸易工具，赋予欧盟委员会权力，可迅速将被视为威胁的第三国——例如中国——排除出欧洲市场。
On Monday, France and Germany proposed a “rapid response” trade tool giving the European Commission the power to swiftly cut a third country deemed a threat – such as China – out of its market.
布鲁盖尔研究所高级研究员、欧盟委员会贸易部门前负责人伊格纳西奥·加西亚·贝尔塞罗表示，尽管中欧贸易关系复杂，相关问题需要时间解决，但中国展现出一定程度的积极进展仍然至关重要。
While China-EU trade relations are complex and issues take time to resolve, it is important for China to show some forward movement, according to Ignacio Garcia Bercero, a senior fellow at Bruegel and former director at the European Commission’s trade department.
加西亚·贝尔塞罗称，最理想的情况是中国能够认识到，欧盟有必要采取措施保护其部分产业。
The best-case scenario would be for China to recognise that the EU needs to take action to protect some of its sectors, Garcia Bercero said.
“中国应当理解，依据世界贸易组织规则采取的正常措施并不构成升级行为，”加西亚·贝尔塞罗说，并补充道，双方都不应让政策行动中断对话。
“China should understand that normal actions under World Trade Organization rules are not escalations,” Garcia Bercero said, adding that both sides should not let policy actions interrupt dialogue.
法国国际关系研究所亚洲研究中心主任马克·朱利安认为，北京或许会提出一些小让步，以安抚某些成员国，使其反对法德提出的“快速响应”工具，但这些措施不足以解决贸易关系中的更广泛失衡问题。
Beijing may offer small compromises to calm certain member states and turn them against the Franco-German “rapid response” tool, but such measures would not be enough to solve the wider imbalances in the trade relationship, according to Marc Julienne, director of the Centre for Asian Studies at the French Institute of International Relations.
法国爱丽舍宫一位消息人士称，这项拟议的贸易工具将使欧盟能够在与第三国的贸易谈判推进期间采取必要措施保护本国企业，因为欧洲无法承受“数月”等待对话结果，而某些行业正面临不公平竞争的压力。
A source from France’s Elysee Palace said the proposed trade tool would enable the EU to take necessary action to protect businesses while trade talks with third countries progress, as Europe could not afford to wait “for months” on the outcomes of dialogues while certain sectors faced pressure from unfair competition.
朱利安表示：“中国和欧洲很可能将走向更加激烈的贸易报复循环。”但他同时警告称，目前双方都不希望爆发贸易战。
“China and Europe are likely to head towards a more intensified trade tit-for-tat situation,” Julienne said, cautioning that for now neither side wanted a trade war. By Xiaofei Xu