Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Thursday that China hopes the EU will use protectionist measures cautiously when dealing with trade frictions.

The European Commission decided on Wednesday to impose punitive import duties on solar panels from China in order to prevent the dumping of Chinese panel products in the European market.

The measures still have to be reviewed by EU member states and be published in the EU's official journal before going into effect.

Hua said China and the EU are important trade partners for each other, adding that it is in the interests of both sides to maintain mutually beneficial cooperation in economics and trade.

She called on the two sides to adopt a constructive attitude and properly handle differences through communication.