MOFCOM spokesperson He Yadong Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

China is open to negotiating bilateral economic and trade agreements with the EU, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The remarks were made in response to a media inquiry over reports that some European leaders have raised the possibility of reaching a future China-EU trade agreement, and how MOFCOM assesses the current direction of China-EU economic and trade relations and what conditions China hopes the EU will meet before pursuing a new trade agreement.

China and the EU are important economic and trade partners, ministry spokesperson He Yadong told a press briefing. For many years, China-EU economic and trade cooperation has maintained a solid foundation and strong growth momentum. The deep integration of production and supply chains has formed a virtuous cycle of complementary advantages and mutual benefit, He said.

China has always maintained an open attitude toward negotiating bilateral economic and trade arrangements with the EU and welcomes relevant proposals from European leaders. However, in recent years, the EU has used various economic and trade tools to investigate and restrict Chinese companies.

Recently, the EU has also introduced proposed revisions to the EU Cybersecurity Act (CSA2) and the Industrial Accelerator Act, which have seriously affected the confidence and expectations of Chinese companies regarding cooperation, He said.

"We hope that the EU will listen more to the voices of member states and European industry, abandon protectionist practices, work together with China, replace barriers with open cooperation, properly handle frictions and differences through dialogue and consultation, and jointly promote the sound and positive development of China-EU economic and trade relations," He said.

Global Times