Peter Mandelson, former trade commissioner for the European Union, sat down for an exclusive interview with China Daily on Jan 16 in Beijing. The EU should not translate its economic difficulties into protectionist trade policies by looking for "unnecessary fights" with China as it slowly repairs its own economy, Mandelson said in the interview. Mandelson's comments came as latest statistics showed China's trade with debt-ridden EU slipped 3.7 percent year-on-year to $546.04 billion in 2012, the first annual drop in three years since the onset of the global financial crisis.

Related story: 'Unnecessary fights' are bad for business

Reporter: Lu Haoting

Videographer: Lou Yi & Cong Ruiting

Video: Lou Yi

Producer: Flora Yue