China-EU Trade Tensions: Beijing Urges EU to Be Rational
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on June 4 called on the EU to view China-EU economic and trade relations objectively and rationally, to compress the list of problems and expand the pie of cooperation. This comes after reports that the EU is preparing to warn its citizens and businesses about a potential trade war with China and is considering new restrictive measures. The EU has introduced several trade restrictions targeting China this year.
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- 📰 Published: June 4, 2026 at 20:03
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(CNA correspondent Zhang Shuling, Beijing, June 4) According to reports, the European Union is preparing for a trade conflict with China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said today that she hopes the EU side will view China-EU economic and trade relations objectively and rationally, and work with China to compress the list of problems, expand the pie of cooperation, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Mao Ning, responding to a question on China-EU economic and trade relations at a regular Chinese Foreign Ministry press conference on the 4th, expressed hope that the EU would view the relationship objectively and rationally, and work with China to reduce the problem list and expand cooperation for mutual benefit.
She stated that China-EU economic and trade cooperation stems from common interests and is essentially the result of comparative advantages and market competition. Complementary advantages are not a risk, and the integration of interests is not a threat. She added that the increasing number of European companies choosing to deepen their roots in China and expand their business there is the most powerful response to the so-called 'de-risking' strategy.
AFP reported earlier that the EU is increasingly worried about its trade deficit with China. Last year, the EU's goods trade deficit with China reached 360 billion euros.
On June 3, it was reported that the EU is preparing to warn its citizens and businesses about the possibility of a trade war with China and is considering imposing new restrictive measures on China to reshape the unbalanced bilateral economic and trade relationship.
Since the beginning of this year, the EU has proposed several trade restriction measures, which are seen as targeting China and have sparked protests from Beijing.
In January, the European Commission published a draft amendment to the Cybersecurity Act, planning to phase out components and equipment from high-risk suppliers in 18 key industries. This is widely interpreted as targeting Huawei and other Chinese tech companies.
In March, the European Commission published the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), which sets new investment review conditions for foreign direct investments exceeding 100 million euros in industries where a company holds over 40% of global production capacity, such as the electric vehicle industry. The act is seen as protectionist and specifically targeting China.
On May 19, the European Parliament passed a steel industry protection plan by an overwhelming majority, doubling steel import tariffs and cutting duty-free quotas by 47%. China's steel industry is expected to be significantly affected. (Editor: Yang Shengru) 1150604
Xinhua News Agency reported that Mao Ning, responding to a question on China-EU economic and trade relations at a regular Chinese Foreign Ministry press conference on the 4th, expressed hope that the EU would view the relationship objectively and rationally, and work with China to reduce the problem list and expand cooperation for mutual benefit.
She stated that China-EU economic and trade cooperation stems from common interests and is essentially the result of comparative advantages and market competition. Complementary advantages are not a risk, and the integration of interests is not a threat. She added that the increasing number of European companies choosing to deepen their roots in China and expand their business there is the most powerful response to the so-called 'de-risking' strategy.
AFP reported earlier that the EU is increasingly worried about its trade deficit with China. Last year, the EU's goods trade deficit with China reached 360 billion euros.
On June 3, it was reported that the EU is preparing to warn its citizens and businesses about the possibility of a trade war with China and is considering imposing new restrictive measures on China to reshape the unbalanced bilateral economic and trade relationship.
Since the beginning of this year, the EU has proposed several trade restriction measures, which are seen as targeting China and have sparked protests from Beijing.
In January, the European Commission published a draft amendment to the Cybersecurity Act, planning to phase out components and equipment from high-risk suppliers in 18 key industries. This is widely interpreted as targeting Huawei and other Chinese tech companies.
In March, the European Commission published the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), which sets new investment review conditions for foreign direct investments exceeding 100 million euros in industries where a company holds over 40% of global production capacity, such as the electric vehicle industry. The act is seen as protectionist and specifically targeting China.
On May 19, the European Parliament passed a steel industry protection plan by an overwhelming majority, doubling steel import tariffs and cutting duty-free quotas by 47%. China's steel industry is expected to be significantly affected. (Editor: Yang Shengru) 1150604