French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at Sichuan University during a meeting with students in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province on December 5, 2025. Photo:AFP

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday penned a piece urging a rebalancing of economic relations between the European Union (EU) and China, stressing that placing tariffs and quotas on Chinese imports would be "an uncooperative answer."

The article outlines steps that Macron believes both sides must take to address existing imbalances, highlighting cooperation potential with China in clean energy and services and emphasizing that an optimal framework for both regions is "a cooperative one."

Trade balance issue reflects multiple structural factors, and that an excessive focus on EU's deficit with China risks oversimplifying the complex nature of bilateral economic ties, Chinese experts said, agreeing that dialogue and cooperation, rather than confrontation, offer a more constructive and win-win path to addressing imbalances.

Macron pointed to the current 300 billion euros trade surplus that China runs with the EU, which he claimed as "not sustainable" - either for Europe or China, according to the article published in the Financial Times on Tuesday local time.

Meanwhile, the French president acknowledged that the imbalance cannot be attributed to a single cause, noting that current challenges are also tied to "weak EU productivity." He warned that tariffs and quotas on Chinese imports would be an uncooperative response and could trigger "a dire trade dispute."

Instead, Macron said that both China and the EU have the means to "reverse the imbalances." On the European side, he argued that the priority should be to deliver a new economic agenda based on competitiveness, innovation and protection, aimed at strengthening EU's own competitiveness. 

Turning to China, Macron claimed that addressing internal imbalances and rebalancing foreign direct investment flows is essential. He highlighted the strong potential for cooperation. "Today, it [China] leads in energy transition and clean mobility technologies, while Europe continues to lead in many service sectors. An optimal framework for our two regions is a co-operative one," Macron wrote.

But the French President also emphasized that a protection strategy also requires the EU to defend itself. He wrote that the bloc has a range of trade protection tools, including tariffs and anti-coercion measures, stressing "No one should be in any doubt about our willingness to use them."

Macron's article strikes a largely pragmatic tone, but it is clearly grounded in a "Europe-first" perspective, Jian Junbo, director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University's Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

While Macron underscores cooperation and rejects outright trade confrontation, his call for "rebalancing" is primarily shaped by concerns over Europe's own industrial competitiveness and economic pressures, Jian said.

Jian emphasized that current trade imbalances should not be viewed in isolation, but rather as the result of multiple factors, including the global economic environment, Europe's own economic slowdown, and the impact of US tariff policies. 

"Europe's declining industrial and product competitiveness has eroded its foothold in the Chinese market, making it increasingly difficult for European goods to compete," he added.

Sun Yanhong, a senior research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stressed that the trade imbalance reflects the combined effects of differing stages of economic development, industrial structures, market size and demand patterns on both sides. 

China's strong export competitiveness has emerged naturally from the global division of labor, underpinned by its robust manufacturing capacity and a complete industrial chain, Sun said. By contrast, she noted that Europe's overall competitiveness has been weakened in recent years by high energy prices, rising labor costs and a post-pandemic decline in labor productivity - factors that have constrained its ability to expand exports to China.

Macron visited China in early December and was warmly received during his visit to the Sichuan University. During the trip, he said that France is ready to work with China to promote mutual investment, strengthen cooperation in areas such as economy, trade and renewable energy, and deepen friendly cultural exchanges, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

France welcomes more Chinese investment and will provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment, Macron said during the visit, Xinhua reported.

However, in a subsequent interview with French media, Macron claimed that "China is crashing into the heart of the European industrial and innovation model," a remark that experts said reflects his attempt to strike a balance in his stance toward China.

Both Jian and Sun warned that protectionism is not a fundamental solution, and only cooperation offers a more constructive path. "While it may offer short-term relief, it ultimately risks further weakening competitiveness and harming both sides," Jian said.

Sun noted that expanding China's investment in EU, strengthening cooperation in technology and innovation, and deepening industrial collaboration could enhance Europe's competitiveness and ease tensions. 

"As Chinese manufacturing integrates with European technology and capital, shared benefits will grow and trade imbalances will gradually become less significant," Jian added.

China stands ready to work with France to champion the spirit that guided the establishment of China-France diplomatic ties, and to step up strategic communication, deepen practical cooperation, and work for closer coordination in multilateral affairs, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said on December 1 when commenting on China's relations with France. 

"Together, the two sides can make new progress in their comprehensive strategic partnership, promote the sound and steady development of China-EU relations, and contribute more to multilateralism and a peaceful, stable and prosperous world," Lin said.