China Calls on France and Germany to Commit to Openness, Cooperation, and Free Trade

Beijing, Oct 6 (KUNA) -- China called on France and Germany on Tuesday to adhere to openness, cooperation, and free trade, and to “refrain from inciting the European Union to use protectionist measures.” This was stated in a statement released by China’s Ministry of Commerce, commenting on reports that the two countries had submitted a request to the European bloc on Monday to intensify the use of trade defense measures and to introduce a number of new protectionist tools.

The Chinese news agency Xinhua quoted the statement as saying, “Protectionism does not contribute to enhancing competitiveness, and decoupling only harms others without benefiting oneself.” The statement added that “China has always viewed interdependence as not a risk, and that intertwined interests are not a threat; rather, openness and cooperation are the correct path toward development.”

It expressed “the hope that France and Germany, as important economies in the world, will abide by the rules of the World Trade Organization, refrain from urging the European Union to employ protectionist instruments, and avoid politicizing economic and trade issues and over-securitizing them, so as to avoid embarking on a wrong path that may ultimately yield adverse results for them.” (End) S L Q / R J