France and Germany hope to draft a joint "roadmap" by September to address China's trade practices

Germany – French President Macron said Friday during a meeting with German Chancellor Merz that Paris and Berlin aim to develop a joint "roadmap" by September to respond to China's unfair trade practices. Economic, finance, and foreign ministers from France and Germany have been instructed to formulate the plan.

According to AFP, the EU is struggling to cope with the surge in Chinese exports; critics point out that this surge is fueled by generous state subsidies and that the renminbi's exchange rate is allegedly undervalued, thereby lowering the prices of Chinese products.

Against this backdrop, the EU has struggled to form a clear position: France has long advocated stronger measures, while Germany, due to its substantial business investments in China, has consistently taken a more cautious stance.

At a joint press conference following the Franco-German government meeting near Cologne, Macron stated that China’s trade practices are “shaking Europe.”

He said: "We must protect our businesses and industries. We’ve seen this happen in chemicals, machine tools, automobiles, and many other sectors."

In response to allegations of undervaluation of the renminbi, Macron called for dialogue with Beijing on "exchange rates and financial market openness."

German Chancellor Merz said: "If the current valuation of the Chinese currency is reasonable, then there is no justification for not allowing it to be freely convertible for trade purposes."

Merz noted that the EU’s trade deficit with China has expanded sharply in recent years.

The 27-member EU recorded a goods trade deficit with China of approximately €360 billion in 2025, meaning that the EU imports far more goods from China than it exports to China.

Macron added: "We will once again strongly push for strengthening the European Commission’s mandate, urging it to accelerate action in market investigations and in tools related to protecting our industries."

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871014257068043/

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