French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault is in Beijing where he has met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. The two foreign ministers met this morning, discussing bilateral ties and international issues.

Ayrault’s visit comes after the European Parliament passed a resolution Thursday urging the EU not to grant China market economy status.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault is in Beijing, where he's met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

At a joint press conference, Wang said the European Parliament’s resolution conflicts with Section 15 of the Protocol on the Accession of China to the WTO. That section requires members to stop using the “analogue country method” in anti-dumping investigations against China from December 11 this year.

“We hope the European Union can look at China’s development objectively, respect the regulations of the WTO, and abide by treaty obligations,” Wang said.

“We hope and believe that in the 21st century, the European Union will make the right choice when it comes to the question of whether we should be open or exercise protectionism in trade, whether we should keep a promise or break it. China has only one simple, clear and reasonable request on this: please keep your promise.”