SHANGHAI (Reuters) - The EU does not want a trade war with Beijing but five years of talks have yielded no real progress, the bloc's ambassador to China said on Saturday, adding that concern was growing over Chinese market access for European medical devices.

Maros Sefcovic, close ally of bloc's hawkish boss, also vows to crack down on mainland-exported overcapacity 'with all our force' The European Union's trade chief-in-waiting has described China as the bloc's "most challenging trade partner" at a parliamentary confirmation hearing in which he vowed to crack down on mainland-exported overcapacity "with all our force".

Imposing sanctions and engaging in trade wars does not align with China's interests, nor with the EU's interests, a Chinese observer said on Sunday, describing the complexity of China-EU relations like that of a "wrangling married couple.

China and the European Union should address their disagreements and form a united front against a "triumphant" Donald Trump, said a former chief of the World Trade Organization, calling the incoming US president a threat to global trade.

China has urged France to push the European Commission towards a solution acceptable to both the European and Chinese electric vehicle industries, while France said the bloc would not yield on key matters as it pushes to overturn a tariff on brandy.

Former Australian ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos has delved into how US President-elect Donald Trump’s tariffs will affect the world.