China and the European Union have agreed to start talks on the planned imposition of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) being imported into the European market, senior officials of both sides said on Saturday.

Germany's Economy Minister Robert Habeck said he had been informed by EU commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis that there would be concrete negotiations on tariffs with China.

The confirmation came after the Commerce Ministry said Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Dombrovskis, executive vice president of the European Commission, had agreed to start consultations over the EU's anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs.

China is willing to consider both parties' reasonable concerns to avoid the escalation of trade frictions in a rational and professional manner, Wang said during a meeting with Habeck who is on a visit to China.

The commerce minister added that China hopes that Germany will play a positive role in the EU, prompting the European side to meet China halfway.

"This is new and surprising in that it has not been possible to enter into a concrete negotiation timetable in the last few weeks," Habeck said.

He said it was a first step and many more will be necessary. "We are far from the end, but at least, it is a first step that was not possible before."

Habeck had said earlier on Saturday that the European Union's door was open for discussions regarding EU tariffs on Chinese exports.

The European Commission has announced provisional duties of up to 38.1 percent on imported Chinese EVs by July 4, with the investigation set to continue until November 2, when definitive duties, typically for five years, could be imposed.

China has spoken out against the move, describing the higher duties as protectionist. (Reuters/Xinhua)