The Aporia · Former WTO head Pascal Lamy on the EU’s China choice: get a rebalance, or go protectionist

Pascal Lamy, former World Trade Organization director general, discusses the European Union's dilemma regarding its relationship with China. He emphasizes that Chinese authorities' reluctance to address structural macroeconomic imbalances poses a significant challenge for the EU. Lamy advocates for either rebalancing trade relations or adopting more protectionist policies. The article is an exclusive interview focusing on Europe’s economic and trade challenges with China, drawing from Lamy's extensive experience in international trade and European governance.

Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-20, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

Story summary

Former World Trade Organization (WTO) director general Pascal Lamy, who led the organization from 2005 to 2013 and previously held key roles in shaping the European Union, has expressed concern over China's lack of interest in addressing structural macroeconomic imbalances. According to Lamy, this issue poses a "huge problem" for the European Union (EU). He suggests that the EU faces a choice between seeking to rebalance trade relations with China or adopting more protectionist policies. Lamy emphasizes the need for stronger enforcement mechanisms within the WTO to address these challenges effectively.

Written for “EU China Trade Relations” on 2026-10-04, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 EU China Trade Relations

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China Chinese European Union WTO the World Trade Organization

China GPE · 2× Pascal Lamy PERSON · 2× WTO ORG · 2× Chinese NORP · 1× European Commission ORG · 1× European Union ORG · 1× French NORP · 1× Jacques Delors PERSON · 1× the European Union ORG · 1× the World Trade Organization ORG · 1×

He says Chinese authorities’ lack of interest in addressing structural macroeconomic imbalance a ‘huge problem’ for European Union Pascal Lamy served two consecutive terms as director general of the World Trade Organization from 2005 to 2013.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-20

2026-09-20 · South China Morning Post

Former WTO head Pascal Lamy on the EU’s China choice: get a rebalance, or go protectionist · assertive framing

He says Chinese authorities’ lack of interest in addressing structural macroeconomic imbalance a ‘huge problem’ for European Union Pascal Lamy served two consecutive terms as director general of the World Trade Organization from 2005 to 2013. asserted

Lamy → say → 2013

Before that, he spent decades in various French government roles, contributing to the building of the European Union. asserted

he → spend → Union

Here, he discusses Europe’s trade tensions with China, the continent’s growth potential problem and the WTO’s need for stronger enforcement mechanisms. asserted

he → discuss → mechanisms

Former WTO head Pascal Lamy on the EU’s China choice: get a rebalance, or go protectionist

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