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.

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.

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.

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