A social media account affiliated with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said on Wednesday that Beijing could launch investigations into French wines or impose "reciprocal tariffs" on European Union products if Paris moves forward with plans to press for tariffs on Chinese goods.
The comment from the account, identified as Yuyuan Tantian, came after a French government strategy report published on Monday urged the EU to consider either an unprecedented 30% across-the-board tariff on Chinese goods or a 30% depreciation of the euro against the renminbi as measures to counter a surge of low-priced imports.
Yuyuan Tantian said the recommendations in the report singled out Chinese products and ran afoul of World Trade Organization rules. The post added: "It is tantamount to declaring war on China in trade."
French officials have not adopted the report as government policy. "Today, as you can see, the proposal has not been taken up by the government, which does not mean that it is unfounded," French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told journalists following Yuyuan Tantian's posting.
Requests for immediate comment to the French trade and finance ministries went unanswered, according to the report.
The statement from the CCTV-affiliated account invoked recent precedent in trade measures between China and the EU. China last year spared major cognac producers from hefty duties on EU brandy following an anti-dumping investigation that lasted more than a year and which was widely viewed as retaliation for EU tariffs on China-made electric vehicles. The French government had voted in favour of those tariffs.
Alongside the warning, Yuyuan Tantian noted Beijing's stated preference for engagement while signaling readiness to react. "China has always kept its door open for communication, but is also well-prepared to meet all challenges," the post said.
The episode underscores the sensitivities around proposals that single out one trading partner and highlights the potential for targeted countermeasures in sectors such as wine and spirits if trade tensions escalate. For now, the French proposal remains a recommendation, not an enacted policy, and both sides have framed their positions in terms of dialogue while reserving the option of tougher responses.