China’s President Xi Jinping has called for the EU and China to “actively explore” a bilateral trade agreement, arguing such a move would make the pair “the twin engines for global economic growth”.

Mr Xi’s call, made during a speech yesterday, will be seen as a bid to build a rival to a mooted EU-US pact and other major trade negotiations under way around the world, the vast majority of which have left China on the sidelines.

Just as Barack Obama, US president, did during a much briefer trip to Europe last week, Mr Xi has built much of his 11-day charm offensive around promoting trade ties with the EU. However, although Mr Xi has rolled out the obligatory pandas, visiting a pair donated to a Belgian zoo, his drive has come from a much weaker position than the US president’s.