The Chinese Ministry reacted to reports that several European Union member states are preparing a joint document to ask the European Commission to expedite the creation of a mechanism similar to Section 301 of the US Trade Act and adopt stricter measures against Chinese trade.
In a statement released on Tuesday night, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce classified the potential instrument as a 'typically protectionist and unilateral' measure, warning that it 'not only fails to solve problems but will end up harming the European Union itself.'
The spokesperson reinforced the position by saying: 'The EU has also been a victim of this type of instrument: do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you,' and added that such an initiative could destabilize trade between China and Europe, as well as global supply and industrial chains.
According to Beijing, if Brussels continues dialogue with China while simultaneously 'intensifying displays of force' against the country, this could seriously deteriorate mutual trust, hinder consultations between the two parties, and 'affect all economic and trade cooperation.'
China called on the European side to maintain the correct course of managing differences through dialogue. The spokesperson concluded by stating that, 'if the European side insists on introducing discriminatory restrictive measures against Chinese companies or products, China will undoubtedly respond firmly to defend the legitimate rights and interests of its industries.'
The official newspaper Global Times associated this reaction with a recent article by Noah Barkin, senior consultant for China-Europe relations at the Rhodium Group consultancy. According to Barkin, Germany and France are finalizing a joint document to pressure the European Commission to develop an instrument that grants Brussels new powers to limit China's access to the common market.
The response from Beijing comes before the visit of the European Trade Commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, to the Chinese capital, scheduled for October 8 and 9. During this visit, he is expected to discuss the state of bilateral economic and trade relations with Chinese authorities.
The previous week, Šefčovič had stated that Brussels intends to 'rebalance' trade with Beijing, addressing the future of Chinese exports to the EU and the access of European companies to the Chinese market.