MacLean said the current crisis is very likely to increase trade tensions between EU and China as European industries operate in an increasingly negative economic environment and feel the need for protection.

"We have seen a trend of China retaliating against the EU," said MacLean. "The combination of these two events suggests that frictions will probably intensify rather than calm down in the foreseeable future."

Although vowing to encourage imports, a reliable source from European Commission has emphasized the importance of restoring the confidence and stability of the European economy at a time of crisis by "bringing back" productive investments to European territory from other economies. It will also adjust the European economy by capitalizing on real economic activities.

This means a likely decrease in imports or more trade disputes with emerging economies such as China.

Some observers say anti-dumping investigations and increased duties are not in the interests of European importers and retailers. Stuart Newman, legal adviser of the Brussels-based Foreign Trade Association, has for years criticized the EU's anti-dumping measures for their lack of transparency and predictability.

The EU was also blamed for a lack of access to suitable information and the inauspicious timing of actions taken by the European Commission. "We have not seen much improvement by the EU in the anti-dumping system over the years," said Newman, whose organization represents EU retailers and importers.

Newman also said his association has concerns that more anti-dumping investigations are being opened against Chinese importers. Newman predicted that as imports from China continue to increase, there will be more requests for protectionist measures from unprofitable EU industries.

In addition, the economic prospects of the eurozone and the extended EU are not good, but China is nonetheless under pressure to maintain its export activity. Newman said the EU will likely move systematically against Chinese countervailing subsidies.

"This mix of circumstances will likely trigger more trade defense cases and the World Trade Organization dispute settlement proceedings from both sides," said MacLean.

MacLean said the Chinese are hard-working and great traders and he has enjoyed cooperating with Chinese exporters, notably those who are larger, well-organized and intensely focused on certain markets and products.

"But it is not easy to defend Chinese trade interests before the EU institutions while market economy status is still unobtainable," said MacLean. "We don't have access to confidential data."

As a result, MacLean said as a lawyer, in many cases, he is obliged to operate in the dark and try to best the EU institutions by focusing on procedural errors.

"So we are looking forward to the day when China will be accepted as a market economy country," said MacLean. "Or the day when EU lawyers will have broader access to investigation data in order to defend Chinese clients more effectively."

Tan Xuan contributed to this story.