Brussels signals shift toward unilateral trade curbs against Beijing

Redonnet’s combative stance marks a sharp departure from the recent diplomatic tone set by EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic. While Sefcovic and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao established four working groups in June to address intellectual property and export controls ahead of an October visit to Beijing, Redonnet dismissed the effectiveness of these talks. He argued that the current trade imbalance is rooted in structural factors rather than temporary cycles.

Characterizing China’s strategy as a deliberate pursuit of industrial dominance, Redonnet confirmed that the Commission is actively preparing protective tools to be deployed in parallel to ongoing negotiations. He explicitly warned the parliament’s international trade committee that the bloc’s reliance on dialogue alone will not suffice to address the systemic challenges posed by the current Chinese economic trajectory.