EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson rejected on Monday a claim from Beijing that growing safety concerns about Chinese-made products were a front for protectionism.
"The allegation that European companies' action against toxic Chinese goods is politically motivated and shows bias against China is totally false," Mandelson said in a statement.
"As trade commissioner, I will not accept claims of toxicity being used as a pretext for protectionism," he added. "Equally, I will give firm backing to European companies having to reject goods that are dangerous to consumers, including young children." His comments came after China's Director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, Li Changjiang, was quoted in the China Economic Times describing the growing safety concerns as "protectionism." "I personally feel that, this China product threat rhetoric, or the denomination of (the image of) Chinese product, is a new trend in trade protectionism," the newspaper quoted him as saying.
US toy manufacturing giant Mattel has recalled 18 million Chinese-made products world-wide over concerns about high lead levels and small magnets that have seriously injured at least three children.
Since then, Italian custom agents have seized nearly 75,000 Chinese-made Mattel toys in response to the US company's recall and British toy seller Hamleys has reportedly pulled two products containing potentially fatal levels of lead.
In reaction, Li said the recall was "an isolated case involving an individual company" and warned against the issue being used to fuel consumer concerns.
"To escalate this problem and to make it applicable to the whole of 'Made in China' (products) is an irresponsible act which makes consumers sceptical about Chinese-made products," he said.
However, Mandelson insisted: "This is not a question of trade but of health," and warned that Europe would challenge attempts to retaliate against perceived protectionism from China.
"If some in China want to create the pretext for retaliatory action, the EU will contest this in the strongest terms," he said. "Action should be taken where this is needed but otherwise the bulk of our trade should continue as normal."