Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning

International trade is a matter of mutual choice and there is no such thing as forced buying or selling, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference on Thursday, responding to a question over remarks by relevant EU officials that the bloc must "rebalance" trade ties with China. 

"The nature of China-EU economic and trade relations is fundamentally mutually beneficial and win-win, and China has never deliberately pursued a trade surplus with Europe," Mao said.

If [the EU side] only looks at goods trade, ignoring services and investment income; only counts the numbers while ignoring the [China-EU] trade structure and where the profits actually flow; only sees imports from China but ignores the [EU's] own export controls - then [the EU] will naturally arrive at the biased and one-sided verdict of a "trade imbalance," Mao said.

"Whether framed as 'de-risking,' 'reducing dependence,' or so-called 'trade rebalancing,' these are all in essence protectionism. Such measures will only harm the interests of European consumers, drive up costs for businesses, and erode the long-term competitiveness of European industries," the spokesperson said.

She stressed that the EU should objectively view China-EU economic and trade ties and honor its commitment to free trade. China is closely monitoring the EU side's developments and will take necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, Mao said.