China Warns of Response to Proposed EU Trade Tool as Talks Continue

Beijing, 30 September 2026 – China has warned it would respond if the European Union introduces discriminatory restrictions on Chinese companies or products, adding a new point of tension to an already sensitive trade relationship. The warning concerns a reported proposal being discussed by some EU member states, not an enacted EU instrument or a fresh Chinese retaliatory measure.

In a statement issued late on 29 September, China’s commerce ministry said it had noted reports that certain EU countries were preparing a joint paper urging the European Commission to develop a tool resembling the United States’ Section 301 trade mechanism. The ministry called such a measure protectionist and unilateral, arguing that it could disturb China–EU trade and global supply chains. The exact design of the possible European tool has not been published in the ministry’s statement.