Brussels Post

United in Diversity
Sunday, Jan 18, 2026

The French Prime Minister claims China is seeking global dominance by maintaining a trade surplus.

The French Prime Minister claims China is seeking global dominance by maintaining a trade surplus.

François Bayrou condemns China's trade practices and its long-term strategy to supplant European industry as trade tensions escalate.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou has accused China of pursuing global dominance through its nearly one trillion dollar trade surplus in 2024. In his first major policy speech since taking office, Bayrou characterized this as a decade-long strategy intended to overshadow European industry.

His comments arise amid escalating trade tensions between the European Union and China, with Bayrou stressing that France can no longer rely on the United States to uphold global trade regulations.

China’s trade surplus has raised alarms in Europe, especially after its exports to the EU increased by three percent, while imports from the EU decreased by 4.4 percent.

Bayrou's observations were also driven by retaliatory measures against French industries, such as an investigation into French cognac producers following the EU's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.

These tensions are further exacerbated by China’s reported constraints on foreign companies’ access to its health sector, which the EU has also criticized.

As trade conflicts escalate, Bayrou plans to address these issues during an upcoming visit to China, where he's expected to further discuss France's trade relations with Beijing.
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