A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce released a statement on Tuesday evening, arguing that economic interdependence does not pose a risk and that the convergence of interests does not constitute a threat, asserting that cooperation and openness are the correct path to development.
The statement emphasized that protectionism does not enhance competitiveness, and that the decoupling process and the disruption of supply chains harm the parties involved without generating self-benefits.
Beijing expressed the expectation that France and Germany will remain firm in defending free trade, cooperation, and openness, while respecting the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and that they will not encourage the European Union to use protectionist instruments whenever there is an opportunity.
Additionally, the spokesperson warned that France and Germany should avoid turning economic and trade issues into political or security matters, preventing an incorrect course of action that could be detrimental to them.
These declarations came one day after the European Commission positively approved a proposal presented by Paris and Berlin, which aims to provide the EU with new tools to protect against unfair trade practices by third countries, aligning with the stance of the Community Executive.
The Commission's spokesperson, Olof Gil, confirmed on Monday that this initiative is consistent with the work of the European Commission and with the clear position of its president on competitiveness and treatment of trading partners, including China. He also reported that the issue will be discussed at the European leaders' summit scheduled for Brussels on the 15th and 16th.
In a letter addressed to the Commission, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron argued that, in addition to fully utilizing existing mechanisms, it is essential to establish a broader framework complemented by new legal measures.
The correspondence highlighted that, in the current international scenario, trade is being used as a 'weapon,' and there are practices that systematically distort the market, causing global macroeconomic imbalances.
Such proposals emerged shortly before the planned trip to Beijing by the European Trade Commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, whose objective is to boost negotiations to prevent an open trade conflict and, from the European perspective, contest the growing deficit in trade exchanges, which Brussels attributes to Chinese subsidies or coercive actions.
The European Commission, responsible for the EU's trade policy, has pressured China to implement measures to mitigate trade imbalances, while Chinese imports continue to grow in various European industrial sectors. In 2025, Chinese products totaled approximately 571 billion euros in imports from the EU, contributing to a European trade deficit with China of about 360 billion euros.