China criticizes Germany and France for proposing new EU trade defense tools as protectionist

China's Commerce Ministry has criticized Germany and France for proposing new EU trade defense instruments, calling them protectionist. The criticism came ahead of EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic's visit to Beijing for trade talks. The proposal by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron aims to protect European companies from unfair trade practices and reduce dependencies. China urged both countries to adhere to WTO rules and free trade. The EU has accused China of state subsidies and overcapacity, while China sees the EU's moves as protectionist.