China Warns France and Germany Over Push for Stricter EU Trade Defense Tools

China's Ministry of Commerce responded on October 6 to reports that France and Germany submitted an informal proposal urging the European Commission to strengthen EU trade defense instruments and introduce new protective measures. A ministry spokesperson stated that economic interdependence does not constitute a risk and warned that protectionism and decoupling would ultimately harm European interests. Urging both nations to uphold open cooperation and World Trade Organization rules, Beijing cautioned against politicizing economic ties and overextending security concerns in trade policy.

As the European Union's two largest economies, coordinated pressure from France and Germany often sets the strategic agenda for the European Commission. A formal push to expand the bloc's defensive trade toolkit indicates a hardening stance on international trade competition, carrying significant implications for EU-China trade flows and future regulatory compliance.

China's Ministry of Commerce has publicly cautioned France and Germany against encouraging the European Union to deploy more aggressive trade defense mechanisms, following media reports that Paris and Berlin jointly submitted proposals to the European Commission. According to an official Q&A released by the Ministry of Commerce on October 6, media reports indicated that the French and German governments submitted an informal non-paper on October 5 urging the European Commission to intensify the use of existing trade defense tools and establish additional protective instruments. In response, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce noted that Beijing had taken note of the reports and reiterated China's position that economic interdependence should not be treated as an inherent risk. The ministry emphasized that shared economic interests do not represent a threat to partner nations, arguing that open international cooperation remains the proper path for global development. The spokesperson stated that protectionist policies cannot enhance economic competitiveness and asserted that decoupling supply chains produces self-inflicted economic harm. As major global economies, France and Germany were urged to maintain their commitment to open trade and adhere to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules rather than prompting the European Commission to rely on defensive measures. Beijing also warned against politicizing economic and trade disputes or applying overbroad national security standards to commercial exchanges, remarking that proceeding along a protectionist trajectory would ultimately backfire on European economies. The friction emerges as European policymakers continue to debate instruments designed to safeguard internal markets from distorted competition and trade imbalances. While Beijing consistently calls for adherence to traditional WTO frameworks, member states have increasingly sought swifter defensive mechanisms within EU institutions to shield local industries.