While many people have hailed the textile deal between the European Union (EU) and China as a success, retailers and others in Britain are voicing their calls for fairer trade.

"The deal is a great success for European trade diplomacy and everyone wins. Everyone, that is, except the retailers that will be forced to switch their clothing sourcing for next year to less efficient producers, the European consumers who will end up paying for it and, most importantly, the battered and leaguered principle of free trade," a story published in Tuesday's Financial Times said.

The EU-China agreement is a "victory only for expediency," the story said.

The entire episode has fed a belief in the developing world that the rules of free trade are there to be changed by the rich countries if it is politically expedient, the story said.

"The real answer is to allow access to the EU for goods produced in China and for EU producers to adapt to the challenge," said Digby Jones, director-general of the Confederation of the British Industry (CBI), the UK employers organization.

Jones said that borrowing from next year's quota to satisfy consumer demand was not a long-term solution.

Stuart Rose, chief executive of Marks and Spencer said, "this was a real mess-up and shouldn't have happened. We did have a problem with knitwear and bras. Knitwear has been resolved but we do still have residual issues with bras. I do have goods tied up somewhere in the docks and I want them."

David Willetts, shadow trade and industry secretary, said the deal was a "botch," adding that "it is no good the prime minister making grand speeches to the Europe Parliament about the need for open markets and then backing cosy protectionist deals."

Source: Xinhua