China warns France, Germany against ‘protectionist’ trade tools
The leaders of France and Germany recently called for a credible EU instrument allowing swift action, including cutting access to the single market if necessary.
On Tuesday, China urged France and Germany to refrain from adopting protectionist trade measures, following their leaders' call for an EU legal arsenal to handle potential trade conflicts. French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz penned a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, expressing the need for a "credible instrument" to swiftly and decisively act, including the possibility of cutting off access to the European single market if necessary.
Although they did not directly mention China, their letter was distributed a few days before EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic's upcoming visit to Beijing to address trade disputes. China's Commerce Ministry responded, urging France and Germany to "refrain from encouraging the EU to resort to protectionist tools at every turn," emphasizing the importance of cooperation, openness, and free trade.
The ministry also cautioned that pursuing a self-destructive path would ultimately harm the two countries. Meanwhile, Beijing's Foreign Ministry maintained that the China-EU economic and trade relationship is mutually beneficial and called for continued dialogue and collaboration to maintain global industrial and supply chain stability.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- China warns France, Germany against ‘protectionist’ trade tools freemalaysiatoday.com
