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CHINA has warned it will take a “resolute response” to protect its industries if the European Union proceeds with restrictions on Chinese companies or products, raising the prospect of further trade tensions between Beijing and Brussels.
Reuters, on Wednesday reported, China’s Commerce Ministry saying the warning followed reports that several EU member states had drafted a joint document calling for a tool to address unfair trade practices and enable stronger measures against China.
The ministry described the proposed instrument as a “typical protectionist and unilateralist measure”, saying it would disrupt the stability of China-EU trade.
“If the European side engages in talks and consultations with China, while increasingly pressuring China, it will seriously undermine mutual trust, interfere with the overall process of consultation,” the ministry said in a statement late on Sept 29.
China could respond with a “strong policy toolbox” including anti-discrimination probes, security investigations into industrial and supply chains, and scrutiny of the impact of foreign subsidies, the state-backed Global Times reported on Sept 30, citing an unnamed Chinese observer.
The warning followed a report by Rhodium Group senior adviser on Europe-China ties Noah Barkin that Germany and France were finalising a joint paper this week urging the European Commission to accelerate development of an instrument modelled on the United States’ Section 301 provision on unfair trade practices.
The proposed EU measure would be aimed at deterring China in the European market, according to Barkin. - September 30, 2026
