European Union flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on May 23, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry (FM) on Friday stated that China would take measures necessary to safeguard legitimate rights and interests, when asked about China's message to the EU ahead of a European Commission (EC) meeting on Friday local time where it was expected to introduce measures to shield European industry from so-called Chinese competition.

A Chinese analyst noted that some within the EU are hyping politically motivated claims about China-EU trade in an attempt to push for protectionist actions, which not only undermine win-win bilateral trade but will also backfire on the EU itself.

"The China-EU trade relations are win-win in nature. China does not aim for trade surplus. Protectionism will only hurt the interest of European consumers and weaken Europe's industry competitiveness," Mao Ning, the FM spokesperson, told a regular press briefing. "China is closely following the EU's moves and will take measures necessary to safeguard legitimate rights and interests." 

Later Friday, the EC claimed in a press release that the meeting, which it called an orientation debate, "gave the College of Commissioners an opportunity to take stock of EU-China relations - covering both the opportunities they present and the challenges they pose." While the press release did not contain any specific measures, it noted that the EC's "overarching approach remains de-risking, not decoupling," and suggested that more "work in the coming weeks."

Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said on Friday that under the name of "de-risking," the EU is resorting to trade protectionism, instead of pursuing dialogue and consultation. 

"Any protectionist move would distort normal trade dynamics and signal a dangerous policy shift that could ultimately undermine the foundation of the highly interdependent China-EU economic relationship," Zhou told the Global Times. 

Earlier, citing the bloc's industry commissioner Stephane Sejourne, the Financial Times (FT) reported that the EU would broaden the use of its trade defenses to shield entire industrial sectors from what Brussels sees as an "existential" threat from Chinese imports. Sejourne told the FT and other European outlets that the EU would deploy import quotas and tariffs more systematically.

The so-called "existential" threat from Chinese imports is a politically-driven claim made by some in the EU, in an attempt to use it as a pretext to introduce protectionist measures, which will ultimately undermine the EU's own industrial competitiveness and business environment, Zhou said, adding that EU businesses would face tangible pressures including rising costs, fewer procurement options, reduced supply chain stability and longer technology adaptation cycles. "Ultimately, these costs would also be passed on to European consumers and public service systems," he said.

Chinese authorities and business associations have repeatedly expressed opposition against the EU's recent growing protectionist actions targeting China. 

In response to the EU's ongoing efforts to advance its so-called Cybersecurity Act, which would prohibit Chinese enterprises from participating in the construction of Europe's critical infrastructure, a spokesperson from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said on Friday that the China Chamber of International Commerce has, on behalf of the Chinese business community, submitted comment opinions to the EU, stressing that the draft contains obvious unreasonable elements.

Also on Friday, the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) urged the European Commission to ensure legal certainty, proportionality and non-discrimination in its investigation under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) into JD.com's proposed acquisition of German electronics retailer CECONOMY, warning against generalizing normal market-based competitive advantages as so-called "market distortions."

The remarks came after the EC announced on Thursday an in-depth investigation under the FSR into Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com's proposed acquisition CECONOMY, citing so-called preliminary concerns that JD.com "may have received foreign subsidies that could distort the EU internal market," Reuters reported on Thursday.

In a statement responding to the move, the CCCEU said the case marks the first time a Chinese acquisition has been subject to a Phase II investigation under the new FSR. "We attach great importance to this development and hope that the procedures will adhere to legal certainty, proportionality, and non-discrimination principles," the chamber said.