A sign of the WTO on its headquarters in Geneva Photo: VCG

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Thursday that the European Union's decision to terminate its World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute case against China over restrictive trade measures on [Lithuania] is the right choice, stressing that China has always maintained that the European side's initiation of the case lacks basis.

An official with the MOFCOM made the remarks in response to a question about media reports saying that the EU has announced that it will end a WTO case over China's trade restrictions on Lithuania. 

The Chinese side has always strictly abided by WTO rules and will continue to firmly uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system through concrete actions, the official noted, according to a statement on the MOFCOM's website.

The EU launched a case at the WTO against China in 2022 in which it accused China of discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania.

"The European Union (EU) hereby notifies the Dispute Settlement Body that, considering that the key objectives behind this dispute have been met and relevant trade has resumed, it no longer considers it necessary to pursue its complaint," according to a document on the WTO website on Monday.

The EU's withdrawal of the case against China reflects that the European side lacks sufficient evidence, and it also indicates that the EU may think it's not necessary to focus on minor trade friction with China amid global uncertainty, Xin Hua, director of the Center for European Union Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

China and the EU are highly complementary in various economic fields, and if the EU side can drop ideological prejudice and remove certain protectionist measures, there is great potential for China-EU economic and trade cooperation, Xin said, highlighting that many European companies are "voting with their feet" in the Chinese market.

At the recently concluded 9th China-Germany Automotive Conference in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin Province, German business leaders and industry representatives called for deeper cooperation with China's vehicle sector, arguing for mutual engagement while voicing opposition to unilateralism and protectionism.

China and European countries have ramped up economic and trade exchanges lately. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held a video conference with Katherina Reiche, Germany's economy and energy minister, on November 26, during which they candidly exchanged views on the Nexperia issue, according to a press release on the MOFCOM website.

On November 25, Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative Ling Ji met with Finnish Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment Timo Jaatinen, exchanging views on China-Finland and China-EU economic and trade relations, according to a separate press release on the MOFCOM website.