Exclusive: EU vows to fight ‘tooth and nail’ for European industry as China threatens retaliation

Published connected 30/04/2026 - 16:33 GMT+2•Updated 16:36

In an interrogation with Euronews, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič issued a steadfast informing that the European Union volition not hesitate to support its industries aft Beijing signaled imaginable retaliation implicit caller EU plans to bolster its concern base.

China this week up the pressure connected Brussels, threatening countermeasures unless the EU softens halfway elements of its “Made successful Europe” proposal—designed to tighten marketplace entree for overseas companies—and its Cybersecurity Act, which could yet restrict Chinese telecom firms’ beingness crossed the bloc.

Asked astir China’s absorption to what the EU describes arsenic much-needed measures to reenforce its sovereignty and reconstruct a level playing field, Šefčovič told Euronews the EU volition "always" support the interests of its companies.

“We volition combat bony and nail for each European job, for each European company, for each unfastened sector, if we spot they are treated unfairly,” said Šefčovič successful comments to Euronews successful an exclusive interrogation Friday.

Ballooning commercialized shortage successful detriment to EU

Relations betwixt Brussels and Beijing person deteriorated sharply implicit the past year, with China tightening export controls connected uncommon earths captious to Europe’s clean-tech and defence industries, arsenic good arsenic restricting chips indispensable to the automotive sector, intensifying unit connected already fragile proviso chains crossed the bloc.

In response, the EU has pushed for legislative proposals successful the domain of cybersecurity and azygous marketplace rules for companies, prompting a crisp absorption from China which has accused the EU of unfair practices. Earlier this week, Beijing said the EU should not underestimate China's "firm resolve" to safeguard its interests.

Šefčovič rejected the proposition that caller developments awesome a looming commercialized warfare but stressed that the EU does not run nether unit and expects to beryllium treated with respect. “We ne'er endanger our partners, and we surely don’t bash it done the media,” helium said. "What we request is strategical patience and a large woody of courage."

He said a "war" is often casual to start, but hard to exit. A Chinese authoritative told Euronews Beijing does not privation for a commercialized spat to escalate, but said China is superior astir what it considers discriminatory practices. The EU disputes discrimination.

The EU's commercialized main pointed to a ballooning commercialized shortage betwixt the 2 sides arsenic a origin for concern. The bloc's commercialized spread with China surged to €359.3 cardinal successful 2025, a level Šefčovič called “simply unsustainable" that does not amusement signs of improvement.

He besides said policymakers, the European parliament and economical actors successful the EU person delivered "a precise beardown economical and governmental reaction" to tackle the commercialized deficit.

So far, Brussels has failed to unafraid meaningful commitments from Beijing to rebalance commercialized relations. At the aforesaid time, EU officials are increasing progressively acrophobic that Chinese exports—shut retired of the US marketplace by higher tariffs—are being redirected towards Europe. Brussels besides points to China's overcapacity arsenic a root of concern.

The EU is present pressing Beijing to participate superior negotiations and present factual results.

“I invited the Chinese overseas curate to sojourn Brussels due to the fact that I deliberation we request a precise thorough appraisal of the existent situation,” Šefčovič told Euronews. “What I privation is constructive engagement.”

Faced with a surge successful low-cost Chinese imports, the EU is relying connected commercialized defence instruments to antagonistic what it sees arsenic dumped and heavy subsidised goods, portion besides monitoring efforts by Chinese firms to bypass restrictions by shifting accumulation extracurricular China. Šefčovič made wide the EU volition not beryllium pushed into retreat from those issues.

“There are precise beardown concern policies successful China. You person the aforesaid successful the US, successful Canada, successful Japan and successful Korea. So, cipher should beryllium amazed if the European Union responds successful kind—especially erstwhile it comes to nationalist wealth and nationalist funds.”