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The Chinese government hopes to resolve trade disputes with the European Union and expects Brussels to refrain from imposing new unilateral sanctions. This was stated by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiacun at a briefing held ahead of talks between the two sides regarding China’s tighter control over the export of rare earth metals. ’’We hope the European Union will refrain from introducing arbitrary restrictions. The EU should ensure fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business conditions for companies from all countries, and genuinely uphold market economy principles and the rules of the World Trade Organization,’’ he said. According to the Chinese diplomat, the essence of trade and economic relations between China and the EU is based on complementarity and mutual benefit. He called on Brussels to remain firmly committed to resolving trade differences through dialogue and consultation. ’’We hope the European Union will fulfill its commitments to support free trade and oppose protectionism,’’ Guo Jiacun added. It is worth noting that the statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry representative came after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the European Union’s initiative to reduce its dependence on critical raw material supplies from China. According to von der Leyen, Brussels intends to fill this gap by strengthening relations with Uzbekistan, Australia, Kazakhstan, Canada, Ukraine, and Chile. On October 9 this year, China’s Ministry of Commerce released several documents aimed at tightening control over the export of rare earth metals, as well as technologies and mining equipment related to them. From now on, the export of these products requires a special license. These measures have caused dissatisfaction in the United States and the European Union. At the EU summit held on October 23, French President Emmanuel Macron called for imposing ’’the toughest sanctions’’ against China if it fails to ease these restrictions.
