Trade fallout likely over meat ban, China warns EU
ban certain Chinese meat products on health grounds is
"unacceptable" and warned it could seriously affect bilateral
trade.
The Chinese government said the European Union's recent decision to ban certain Chinese meat products on health grounds is "unacceptable" and warned it could seriously affect bilateral trade, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) spokeswoman Gao Yanstate.
Gao said the government is seriously concerned over the development, adding that the decision based on a report was "unfair" and "unreasonable" because it was taken unilaterally by the EU without consulting China.
"The report took a part for the whole and exaggerated the gravity of certain issues," she said.
The European Commission said last week it would ban poultry meat, rabbit meat and frozen shrimps and prawns from China on health grounds from next week after an expert veterinary panel approved the measure.
In a statement, it said it was taking action after an E.U. mission to China last November found problems related to the use of banned veterinary medicines, including a powerful antibiotic called chloramphenicol. Gao said the decision violated E.U. procedural rules and also went beyond technical areas, which was unfair to China's trade sector and thus "unacceptable".
She warned that the ban might seriously harm trade ties between China and the E.U.
"As a member of the World Trade Organisation, China will respond to the E.U.'s act in accordance with WTO rules. The E.U. should promptly withdraw its "wrong decision" in order to guarantee the smooth development of China-E.U. trade,"she said.
"The problem should be solved through negotiations between the two sides, " she added.
