Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong at a regular press conference in Beijing Photo: Yin Yeping/GT

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has urged the EU to show restraint when using restrictive trade tools, and foster a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies.

The remarks were made by He Yadong, a spokesperson of MOFCOM at the regular conference on Thursday, on how China will further promote institutional cooperation in China-EU economic and trade relations, as President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated that EU has no intention to decouple from China and welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in Europe at the 25th China-EU Summit held last week.

He said the meeting was a success, during which the leaders of both sides reached a series of important consensuses on bilateral economic and trade cooperation. 

The MOFCOM will work with the EU side to follow up on the implementation of these agreements. During the China-EU Business Leaders Symposium hosted by MOFCOM, representatives from both sides expressed strong confidence in China-EU trade and investment cooperation and their willingness to jointly elevate industrial and supply chain collaboration to a higher level.

China has always believed that the essence of China-EU economic and trade relations is complementary advantages and mutual benefit. We hope the EU will maintain an open market, take Chinese companies' concerns seriously, exercise restraint when utilizing restrictive trade tools, and foster a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies to invest and operate in Europe, He said. 

At the same time, China will continue to expand high-level opening-up, improve the business environment, fully implement national treatment for foreign investors, strengthen intellectual property protection and provide high-quality services and guarantees for foreign enterprises, He noted. 

Besides, China welcomes more European companies to invest in China, deepen their presence here and share in the opportunities of China's development, He added. 

Xinhua News Agency reported in May that the China-EU partnership is particularly evident in economic and trade relations. China and the EU enjoy complementary strengths and mutual benefits in economic and trade cooperation, forging a synergy that speaks for itself. Official data showed that bilateral trade grew from $2.4 billion to $780 billion over the past five decades.

Across numerous sectors, especially automotive and luxury industries, Europe contributes design expertise, regulatory rigor and innovation, while China brings high-quality manufacturing, skilled labor and a vast and dynamic consumer base. Together, they have created jobs, revitalized industries and boosted global growth, the report said.

Global Times