jacksonjwoodChina Daily reported that a
China Foreign Ministry official said on Thursday that the world economy,
instead of China, is to blame for the European steel industry's trouble and
urged the European Union to honor unconditionally the World Trade Organization
agreement.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ms Hua Chunying in a news conference said that
“The cause for the sluggishness of the European steel industry is the slowing
growth of the global economy and the shrinking demand. Obviously it doesn't
make sense to blame China for Europe's steel industry's troubles.”
She said "The international community should work together to inject a new
driver to the global economic growth, thus solving the problem by the root.”
She added “Less than eight percent of China's steel export goes to Europe,
while only 14 percent of the EU's steel import comes from China.”
Ms Hua made the remarks as reports said that 12 steel industries called on the
Group of Seven members, who started convening in Japan on Thursday, to protect
them from the country's overcapacity of steel production.
Ms Hua pointed out there is no such concept as the market economy status in the
WTO rules, adding that the EU must honor China's WTO accession protocol by
stopping usage of the surrogate country anti-dumping approach against China on
Dec 11. She said “As an important member of the WTO, the EU should
unconditionally honor the protocol. It shouldn't bargain about it, even less
break its promise or find fault for no reason.”
Source : CHINA DAILY