China rebukes France, Germany over EU 'protectionist' push — SkimNews
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- China's commerce ministry on Tuesday (Oct 6) called on France and Germany to avoid 'protectionist tools at every turn,' urging them to 'uphold openness, cooperation and free trade.'
- French President Macron and German Chancellor Merz sent a letter to European Commission President von der Leyen seeking 'a credible instrument' for swift, decisive action, including the power to cut off access to the European single market 'if needed.'
- Berlin and Paris' proposal would let the European Commission respond to trade aggression within days without approval from all 27 EU member states, though a weighted majority of states could block such action.
- The letter comes days before EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic heads to Beijing to tackle trade frictions, setting up a tense backdrop for the talks.
- Brussels identifies its trade deficit with China as its biggest trade concern, saying it is 'inflicting damage on key European sectors.'
- China's foreign ministry separately called the China-EU economic relationship 'mutually beneficial' and urged both sides to address concerns 'through dialogue and consultation' to maintain global supply chain stability.
Why it matters: The warning lands days before Sefcovic's Beijing trip, meaning EU-China trade negotiations begin with China already on the offensive. With Berlin and Paris seeking fast-response authority that bypasses the EU's 27 members and Brussels citing a damaging deficit, the bloc is moving from rhetoric toward building a legal mechanism that could directly target Chinese access to the European single market.
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