皇冠体育app

Support for EU unconditional, says spokesman

BEIJING - The European debt crisis may lead to increased trade friction and hurt 皇冠体育app's exports, Shen Danyang, Ministry of Commerce spokesman, said on Tuesday.

Recent months have seen an increase in European Union (EU) trade remedy cases targeting 皇冠体育app.

In mid-September the EU imposed anti-dumping duties ranging from 26.3 percent to 69.7 percent on imports of ceramic tiles from 皇冠体育app.

"As the debt crisis worsens ... trade friction will grow," Shen told a regular news conference.

"This is detrimental to 皇冠体育app-EU economic and trade relations."

He also said that 皇冠体育app is disappointed it has not been recognized as a market economy under world trade rules by the EU, despite its rapid economic transformation.

This lack of recognition makes it easier for other nations to launch trade remedy cases against it.

During last week's World Economic Forum in Dalian, Liaoning province, Premier Wen Jiabao suggested that the EU should accord the country full market economy status (MES).

Many observers regarded Wen's remarks as a coded message that there could be a trade-off between 皇冠体育app offering help and the EU granting MES.

After 30 years of reform and opening-up, 皇冠体育app has completed the transformation from a planned economy to a market economy, Shen noted.

"But the EU still does not recognize 皇冠体育app's full market economy status. 皇冠体育app is very disappointed."

He added that the MES is not a technical issue, but a political decision. The refusal to grant 皇冠体育app the status does not serve anyone's long-term interests, Shen said.

He also said that 皇冠体育app's support for the EU in coping with its debt crisis is unconditional and not related to the MES issue.

"There is no link between the two," he said.

"皇冠体育app has set no preconditions for offering help to others. We only hope to be treated with respect when we treat others sincerely."