China has sparked a row with the European Union after complaining to the world's trade watchdog that EU anti-dumping duties on Chinese screws and bolts are breaking global commerce rules.
The world's second-largest exporter lodged its first complaint against the EU with the World Trade Organisation on Friday, protesting that EU tariffs of up to 85 per cent were “neither impartial nor transparent” and were damaging business for hundreds of Chinese companies.
The move signals Beijing's willingness to defend its trade-related interests more aggressively through multilateral institutions, as well as its implicit acceptance of the authority of those western-dominated institutions.