Macron Threatened China with Tariffs Over Trade Deficit

French President Emmanuel Macron stated that during his official visit to China, he threatened Beijing with the imposition of customs duties if it did not take action to reduce the continuously growing trade deficit with the European Union. "I told them that we cannot allow our trade deficit to keep growing without a response," Macron noted. According to him, Europe must protect itself from "unfair competition" and "economic aggression." The president also emphasized the importance of dialogue with China but pointed out the need to "establish clear rules of the game."