EU lawmakers reject market economy status for China
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European Union lawmakers have voted against granting market economy status to China in a blow to Beijing's hopes to win the stamp of economic approval by December.
The lawmakers said in a resolution on Thursday that China's excess production capacity and cut-price exports are having "strong social, economic and environmental consequences in the EU."
They noted that 56 of the EU's current 73 anti-dumping measures apply to imports from China.
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The resolution was passed by 546 votes to 28, with 77 abstentions.
China is the EU's second biggest trading partner, with daily trade flows worth more than 1 billion euros.
Beijing argues that it should automatically win market economy status after Dec. 11, under the World Trade Organization's accession protocol.