China said through Yuyuantantian, a social media account affiliated with China Central Television, that it could endure a further deterioration or even a freeze in economic and trade ties with the European Union if talks in Brussels are treated as a formality while restrictions continue to tighten.
The statement came before a June 29 meeting between EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and China’s commerce minister, as the EU pursues negotiations with Beijing while also preparing additional trade and economic security measures. Bloomberg previously reported that China had signaled any new EU curbs on Chinese exports could bring prompt countermeasures, including anti-discrimination and supply-chain security investigations, according to people familiar with the matter.
On the EU side, leaders have directed the European Commission to seek results through dialogue while ensuring the bloc has trade instruments to defend its interests. The Commission has been examining measures including supply-chain diversification requirements and other tools tied to procurement, investment and import monitoring.
The trade backdrop remains strained, with China’s goods surplus with the EU reaching about EUR 360.6 billion in 2025 and the EU’s goods deficit with China at EUR 98 billion in the first quarter of 2026, according to cited EU data.