France, June 18 -- At a two-day summit in Brussels starting on Thursday evening, EU leaders will seek ways to reduce a growing imbalance in the flow of goods between Europe and China - which Brussels fears makes it vulnerable to potential coercion and supply shocks.

The bloc's trade deficit in goods hit around €360 billion last year, meaning Chinese exports sharply exceeded those from the EU.

"Our trading relationship with China has reached a point that requires a reset. Not confrontation, but rebalancing," EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said.

One option would be to create a new tool to impose sector-specific tariffs, for example on chemicals or green technology.

French President Emmanuel Macron last month called for a "European ...