China has always expressed its willingness to play an active role in solving the problems of sovereign debt crisis that is affecting several European Union countries. As released by the Financial Times, today about a quarter of the 3.2 trillion in foreign debt held by Beijing is denominated in euros.However, to undermine the cooperative attitude of China could be the disappointment expressed recently by the Dragon: during the World Economic Forum in Dalian, the spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, Shen Danyang, has, in fact, asserted the importance, for the country, to obtain the recognition of market economy by European Union countries. Shen Danyang message did not hide his disappointment at the behaviour of European Union countries: "After 30 years of economic reforms, China has completely transformed from a planned to a market economy, but the European Union still does not recognize the status of market economy”. Shen Danyang, who also stated that the recognition of China as a market economy is not a precondition for the financing of European debt, has, however, continued by stating that "China is extremely disappointed. This is not a technical problem, but political" .

During the same forum, also Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao issued an opinion on the subject, making a request to the Europeans to recognize the market economy status to China before 2016, the date set by some time by the World Trade Organization (WTO). "If the Eurozone countries were able to demonstrate their sincerity with a few years in advance, would be the way a friend is with another friend", said Wen Jiabao. The reason for the insistence of China in obtaining the recognition is justified by the fact that either the market economy status would provide greater assurance of access to Chinese products in the European market, making them immune to anti-dumping clauses.