China hopes the European Union can handle differences through negotiations in accordance with WTO rules, preventing trade frictions from escalating out of control, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its website Friday.

The EU continues to escalate trade frictions and may trigger a “trade war”, which it would be fully responsible for, as it failed to implement the consensus reached by leaders of both sides, follow WTO rules and protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, MOFCOM said, urging the EU to return to the correct way of getting along with China.

MNI reported last week that China still hopes to negotiate a deal with the EU for it to reduce or drop hefty new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, possibly based on promises to restrict pricing and export volumes. (SEE MNI EM: China Hopes For Deal With EU On EV Tariffs - Advisors)