🇨🇳🇪🇺 Beijing attacks EU trade tool push

China’s Ministry of Commerce criticised a reported Franco-German effort to create an EU mechanism modelled on US Section 301 authorities to counter China, warning Beijing would resolutely respond to any discriminatory steps against Chinese firms or products. The ministry said such a move would damage mutual trust and disrupt the next round of China-EU trade talks scheduled for later this month.

The reported proposal, attributed to policy work in Paris and Berlin, would give the EU a faster instrument to restrict Chinese access to the European market, reportedly through reform of the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument. Beijing framed the idea as protectionist and unilateralist, while pressure inside the EU has been building for the bloc to use its market leverage more aggressively in response to trade frictions with China.

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche held a video call on Monday as the issue gathered momentum. Beijing said it would closely monitor Brussels’ next steps.

#China #France #Germany

@asianomics