Protectionism Cannot Boost Competitiveness; Decoupling Harms All, China Says

Dragon Media News Desk

Protectionism cannot enhance competitiveness, and severing economic ties will harm all parties, China said. A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday that openness and cooperation were the right path to development.

The remarks followed reports that France and Germany had submitted an informal document to the European Commission on Monday, calling for stronger trade defense measures and a series of new protectionist tools.

China has consistently maintained that interdependence is not a risk and that interconnected interests are not a threat, the spokesperson said. China expects France and Germany, as major economies with global influence, to uphold openness, cooperation and free trade, and to abide by World Trade Organization rules.

The spokesperson also urged the two countries not to encourage the European Union to resort to protectionist measures, politicize economic and trade issues, or overextend the concept of national security. Taking the wrong path would ultimately harm them, the spokesperson said.