A: China has noted Commissioner Šefčovič’s remarks. It is an important consensus reached by the leaders of China and the EU that each other’s concerns should be properly addressed through dialogue and consultation. In recent years, China has consistently worked to uphold the spirit of this consensus, strengthening dialogue and communication with the EU in the economic and trade field and striving to manage frictions and differences.

Since the inaugural meeting of the China-EU Trade and Investment Consultation (TIC) on June 29, MOFCOM has maintained close communication with the EU at various levels, conducting in-depth discussions on feasible solutions to properly address each other’s economic and trade concerns. From August 31 to September 2, Vice Minister of Commerce Ling Ji held talks with Denis Redonnet, Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security of the European Commission. The two sides had in-depth, candid and constructive communication on issues of mutual concern and guided their respective teams in conducting multiple rounds of professional consultations. China would like to emphasize that consultations at all levels between China and the EU should maintain the positioning of stable and balanced key trading partners, and commit to resolving each other’s concerns on an equal footing. No party should unilaterally raise its demands, impose conditions or even threaten to close its market as leverage.

China has repeatedly stated that the EU should face up to its own problems. China is not the source of the EU's economic and trade challenges and could instead be a partner in addressing them. Protectionism leads nowhere; win-win cooperation is the right path. China is ready to work with the EU to strengthen regular and institutionalized communication in the economic and trade field, manage differences, promote practical cooperation, and push for upward balancing and forward development in China-EU trade. We hope that the EU will uphold free trade, jointly safeguard the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, and refrain from sliding further into the quagmire of protectionism.