Its new deal with Vietnam and its fresh tariff threats issued to many other countries seem designed to reduce China’s role in their supply chain. Countries that had hoped to stay out of the new cold war now fear they are being forced to pick a side. To appease the world’s biggest market, they must anger the world’s biggest trader.

Beijing and Europe’s tit-for-tat trade restrictions are largely symbolic but demonstrate the worsening of their ties ahead of a joint summit.

China will also restrict imports of medical devices from other countries that contain EU-made components worth more than 50% of the contract value.