BEIJING - China is not trading its help to European countries for their recognition of the nation's market economy status, said Chai Xiaolin, director of the Department of World Trade Organization Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce.

"We expect the EU could help address the unequal treatment Chinese companies have encountered under the WTO framework due to the market economy status, but this does not mean China will threaten to get the recognition from the EU," Chai said on Friday.

"As a responsible nation, China will help European nations out of their debt woes based on its own capacity, as the move could also help China," she said.

Developed regions including the United States and the EU have not granted China market economy status, which has caused trade remedy cases against China.

Under the WTO framework, China is expected to be granted the status automatically by 2016.

Premier Wen Jiabao said at the opening of the World Economic Forum in Dalian on Wednesday that he hoped the EU would recognize China's full market economy status.

Ding Qingfen and Li Jiabao

(China Daily 09/17/2011 page1)