China benefits from US-Europe trade wars – EU's Kallas
Photo: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas (Getty Images)
China benefits from the ongoing trade wars between the US and its allies. EU countries are ready to act and protect their interests if necessary, according to the European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, reports Bloomberg.
“Who is laughing on the side or looking at the side is China. It’s really benefiting from the US having a trade war with Europe,” she said on Thursday, March 13, on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Canada.
Kallas reiterated the EU's readiness to retaliate, calling for restraint as trade wars usually cause inflation spikes that hurt consumers.
“We keep a cool head and of course we are ready to act and defend our interest when we need to,” she said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that “there will be no winner from a trade war or tech war.”
“We will not comment on how the US and Europe get along or with each other but we oppose making China an issue,” she said at a press conference on Friday, March 14.
Trump's threats
Kallas' comments came hours after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose 200% tariffs on wine, champagne, and other spirits from France and other EU countries, the latest escalation in a growing transatlantic trade war.
Trump threatened these measures in response to the EU's plan to impose taxes on US whiskey exports, which is a response to Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum.
