China urges France, Germany to uphold free trade, avoid protectionism

China has called on France and Germany to support open markets and free trade, and to avoid pushing the European Union toward greater use of protectionist measures, the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.

Responding to reports that the two countries were seeking wider use of the EU's trade defense instruments and additional protectionist tools, a ministry spokesperson said economic interdependence should not be viewed as a risk, nor should intertwined interests be regarded as a threat.

Open cooperation remains the right approach to development, the spokesperson said in an online statement, adding that protectionist measures will not make economies more competitive and that attempts to decouple or disrupt industrial and supply chains will ultimately hurt all sides.

France and Germany, as major economies, should uphold World Trade Organization rules, keep economic and trade issues from being politicized and avoid overstretching the concept of national security, the spokesperson added.