Aid not tied to status

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.