Xi urges EU to stand with China against ‘unilateral bullying’

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on the European Union to work together with China to stand against what he described as "unilateral bullying."

During a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing, Xi emphasized the importance of stronger cooperation between China and the EU, especially in light of the ongoing trade tensions with the United States.

As reported by the state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi said, "China and Europe should fulfil their international responsibilities... and jointly resist unilateral bullying practices."

At the same time, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that while China does not want a trade war, it is not afraid of one either.

“Tariff and trade wars have no winners. China does not want to fight these wars but is not scared of them,” Lin said, according to the Global Times.

He also criticized the US approach, saying, “If the US truly wants to resolve issues through dialogue, it must stop applying extreme pressure and acting recklessly. These tactics do not work on China. Any dialogue must be based on equality, mutual respect, and reciprocity. If the US insists on continuing a tariff and trade war, China's response will continue to the end.”

Lin added that China is a responsible global player.

“Our countermeasures against US bullying are not only about safeguarding China's legitimate rights and interests, but also about defending international rules and order, safeguarding the common interests of all countries as well as global fairness and justice,” he said.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described the US decision to reduce tariffs on the EU to 10 percent as a "fragile pause." He urged Europe to use all tools available to protect itself.

“The partial suspension of American tariffs for 90 days sends out a signal and leaves the door open for talks. But this pause is a fragile one,” Macron wrote on X, according to The Guardian.

“Fragile, because the 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles and the 10% tariffs on all other products are still in place,” he added.