EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic will meet China’s international trade envoy, Li Chenggang, in Paris on Thursday, as the sides look to defuse tensions that have pushed them to the brink of a trade war.

EU sources said the sides sought to establish a new platform for discussing trade and investment issues, even as Brussels prepared to take a more hardline stance towards Chinese economic practices.

The EU has been keen to streamline dialogue with China from an estimated 60 working groups into something more manageable. On Saturday, China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed that a “trade and investment consultation mechanism” was being discussed.

Ling Ji, China’s vice-commerce minister responsible for Europe, is expected next week in Brussels, where he is likely to meet Ditte Juul Jørgensen, the bloc’s new director general for trade.

Trade tensions have soared in recent weeks as Beijing has responded forcefully to Brussels’ plans to adopt a stronger policy for dealing with imbalances emanating from the Chinese economy.