France's foreign trade minister has said the window for negotiation with Beijing over tariffs on European brandy remains open but warned Paris could take "all possible measures" in response.
In October, Beijing announced provisional tariffs on European Union brandy imports, part of an escalating trade row between Beijing and Brussels.
Most Chinese imports of the spirit come from France and the country's cognac makers have begged Paris to put an end to the spat, describing themselves "hostages".
Speaking to journalists in Shanghai on Monday, French Foreign Trade Minister Sophie Primas said: "France is in favour of negotiations, obviously. We are not in an escalating trade war, so we need to enter negotiations."
This followed an hour-and-a-quarter-long meeting Primas had with China's commerce minister Wang Wentao on Sunday evening ahead of a major trade show.
Primas underlined that she had told Wang France was prepared "to take all possible technical and legal measures".
"We don't want it to come to that," she stressed.
"The window for negotiation... is clearly open," she said, adding that she expected high-level talks to take place soon.
EU - China tariff spat
In a post on social media, Primas said she had conveyed "one simple thing" to Minister Wang: "Europe refuses trade escalation, continues its exchanges, but will not yield to pressure on essential points."
France maintains that the measures against brandy are political, designed to put the European Union under pressure after the bloc imposed tariffs of up to 35.3 percent on Chinese electric vehicles over unfair competition claims.
The EV measures reportedly featured prominently in Primas and Wang's discussions.
A second phase of consultations over the measures between the EU and China recently began.
"France, as an important member state of the EU, should play an active role in urging the European Commission to show sincerity," Wang was quoted as saying in a readout from his ministry.
Beijing files WTO complaint over EU's new taxes on Chinese EVs
As well as the provisional brandy tariffs, Beijing has also launched anti-dumping probes into some European pork and dairy imports.
Brussels is also investigating Chinese subsidies for solar panels and wind turbines.
Primas said she had come to China with a message of "both openness and firmness".
"Our manufacturers and farmers have been working with China for a very, very long time... we want these bilateral relations to continue to exist and to continue to grow and strengthen," she said.
"On the other hand... we have firm positions in favour of acting in a commercial world of free competition and under fair and reciprocal conditions," she said.
(With wires)
