On October 13, the French media outlet Le Diplomate Media published an interview with Ambassador Deng Li. The Ambassador answered questions on China-Europe and China-France relations.

I. Reporter’s Question: In the first quarter of 2026, the EU’s trade deficit with China hit a record high; the EU is hardening its stance on issues such as tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and tariffs on French cognac. How can this vicious cycle be broken? Can France play a bridging role between China and the EU?

Deng Li stated that there are two different paths to resolving the trade deficit issue. One is downward balancing, which means closing markets and reducing trade. The other is upward balancing, which means tapping cooperation potential, expanding exports, and achieving a higher-level balance. China is ready to work with the EU to promote upward balancing rather than downward balancing.

From the perspective of EU exports to China, the profit from exporting one lithography machine is equivalent to that from exporting 200,000 tons of pork to China. It is impossible to achieve a China-EU trade balance simply by having China purchase more agricultural products and cosmetics from the EU. The EU should relax restrictions on high-tech exports to China and further unleash the potential of its exports to China.

From the perspective of trade in services, the EU has long held an advantageous position and is the largest source of China’s services trade deficit. China is continuously expanding the scope and level of opening up in the services sector, and demand for services is also growing rapidly. The two sides can expand the space for cooperation in trade in services.

According to European Commission data, from 2023 to 2025, Europe’s goods imports remained almost unchanged, with its trade surplus stable at around 150 billion euros, while imports from China grew by 9 percent. Import substitution has occurred because Chinese products offer good quality at low prices. This reflects China’s competitiveness. Subsidies and protectionism cannot create lasting competitiveness; China’s competitiveness comes from its economic ecosystem and innovation. China is the world’s second-largest consumer market, with R&D spending intensity at 2.8 percent, ranking second in the world, and it cultivates more than 4 million science and engineering graduates every year. China has a complete industrial system. In the Yangtze River Delta, all components for a new energy vehicle can be sourced within a four-hour drive; in Shenzhen, the full design, production, and testing cycle for humanoid robots can be completed within a half-hour drive.

France is a major country at the core of the EU. China hopes that France will play a positive and constructive role in encouraging the EU to move in the same direction as China and to commit to resolving their respective concerns through dialogue and consultation. China and the EU have broad space for cooperation and should look to the future, strengthen cooperation in emerging fields, and open up new prospects for upward balancing and sustainable development in China-EU trade.

II. Reporter’s Question: Europe finds itself in a dilemma between U.S. pressure to reduce economic ties with China and the opportunities presented by the Chinese market and by investment. What does China expect from Europe, especially France? How should the two sides build a truly autonomous and balanced relationship?

Deng Li stated that China has always approached and developed China-EU relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, regards Europe as an important pole in a multipolar world, and has consistently supported European integration and EU strategic autonomy. He expressed the hope that the EU will likewise respect China’s core interests and major concerns and support China’s development and prosperity. China-EU relations do not target any third party, are not subordinate to any third party, and are not constrained by any third party.

China-EU economic and trade relations are interdependent. In fields such as aviation and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, Europe is an important supplier to China. Cooperation does not undermine economic sovereignty, and protecting economic sovereignty does not mean producing everything domestically. Globalization has expanded markets, refined the division of labor, promoted trade, and created interdependence among economies. Economic sovereignty and security must have boundaries, and interdependence must be governed by rules. China and the EU should engage in patient and pragmatic dialogue, uphold mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and build lasting trust.

At present, China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” is in its initial stage, and upholding open cooperation and mutual benefit is an inherent requirement of Chinese modernization. In the future, China’s door will not close; it will only open wider. China will continue to firmly advance high-level opening-up and, while achieving high-quality development, share new opportunities with countries around the world.