European Union flags fly outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union and China will continue to engage on export control policies, the European Commission's trade chief said on Saturday, a day after EU and Chinese officials met in Brussels.

The officials held talks in a bid to smooth trade tensions, notably over China's expansion of its controls over rare earth exports. Beijing has now agreed to pause that expansion for a year.

"China confirmed that the suspension of the October export controls applies to the EU. Both sides reaffirmed commitment to continue engagement on improving the implementation of export control policies," EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said in a post on X.

The two sides were also expected to discuss Nexperia, the Chinese-owned computer chipmaker that the Dutch government took control of last month, in a tussle that threatens to disrupt the supply of semiconductors to European carmakers.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Additional reporting by Kate Abnett; Editing by Hugh Lawson)