A senior Chinese official yesterday criticised the EU for resorting to protectionism to keep competitive imports from China out of Europe, as European businessmen working in China warned of rising economic nationalism.

Cheng Yongru, a senior official at the Chinese ministry of commerce, attacked the European Union for its use of “anti-dumping” duties – taxes levied on imports it deems to be priced unfairly low. The use of anti-dumping duties by the EU and some other large trading partners, such as the US, has been rising over the past year, though still remains low by historical standards.

“The trend of trade protectionism in the European Union is very strong. EU companies should adjust their mindsets to adapt to the globalisation trend,” said Mr Yongru.