EU chief Charles Michel met Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the margins of a Southeast Asian summit in Laos as Beijing and the European Union impose tit-for-tat penalties on each other's imports in a row about subsidies and protectionism. Michel said in an interview with AFP that he hoped a deal could be struck in the coming days or weeks, but warned that getting there would be tough. "I have the impression that the door is not closed, but it's a very difficult situation, it's very challenging," he said. SOUNDBITES