France urges China to respect trade rules, warns against supporting Russia

ISTANBUL

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Thursday stressed the need for China to respect international trade rules and take into account the EU’s security interests.

Europe must address "two fundamental and essential issues" in its relations with Beijing, Barrot said while addressing the Medef, France’s employers' association, in Paris.

"The first is trade fairness – the need for China to respect international trade rules, particularly those of the World Trade Organization," he added.

He criticized Beijing for not aligning with certain global standards, stressing that such conduct results in “untenable” situations for European producers.

"We cannot accept that China disregards certain rules, leading to unfair competition caused by overcapacity," Barrot said.

He also raised concerns over security, both within the EU and beyond.

Barrot said European institutions are "regularly targeted by cyberattacks and destabilization efforts originating from or driven by actors of Chinese origin."

He also called on China to consider Europe’s security interests in Ukraine.

“China must understand that what is happening in Ukraine affects the security of the European continent,” he said, warning that any form of support for Russia, whether direct or indirect, poses a “very serious threat” to the EU.

“If China wishes to maintain good relations with the European Union—the main political organization of the European continent—it must acknowledge the consequences of its stance,” he concluded.