China warns EU as Brussels confirms single-market removal plan

Summary

China warned the EU that taking a hard line would not force Beijing into concessions as Brussels confirmed plans for a measure that could immediately remove China from the single market, the South China Morning Post reports. The report says the flare-up comes a week after the sides agreed to restrict the volume of Chinese hybrid cars shipped to Europe, and that the threat of a trade war has not subsided. This follows earlier reports that Europe was moving toward a tougher trade stance on China after the hybrid-car deal and that EU leaders would urgently call for new trade tools to tackle the China shock.

Timeline

1. South China Morning Post

   16 Oct 2026, 22:30 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that China warned the EU not to expect a hard line to force concessions as Brussels confirmed plans for a measure to immediately remove China from the single market.