The EU's recent move to prohibit funding support for projects using inverters from China and other so-called"high-risk countries"has drawn firm opposition from China's Ministry of Commerce(MOFCOM),which said on Thursday that China will take measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.
A spokesperson of the MOFCOM said that the EU side,without any factual evidence,has for the first time designated China as a so-called"high-risk country,"and,on this basis,prohibited financial support for projects using Chinese inverters.The spokesperson said that this move constitutes stigmatization of China and amounts to unfair and discriminatory treatment of Chinese products.China cannot accept this and firmly opposes it,the spokesperson said.
Designating China as a"high-risk country"will undermine mutual trust between China and the EU and damage bilateral economic and trade cooperation,and it is not conducive to the stability of industrial and supply chains between China,the EU,and even globally,the MOFCOM spokesperson added.
Furthermore,such a move may even pose risks of"decoupling and supply chain disruption."The EU's forceful measures to exclude Chinese products violate market principles and the principle of fairness.This not only harms the interests of Chinese enterprises,but will also backfire on the EU itself,affecting its green transition and energy security,the spokesperson said.
China urges the EU to immediately stop the stigmatizing practice of designating China as a"high-risk country"and to cancel unfair and discriminatory measures against Chinese products,said the spokesperson.
"China will closely monitor and carefully assess the impact of EU policies on the interests of Chinese enterprises and the China-EU supply chain,and will take measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,"the spokesperson stated.
The EU's restrictions on Chinese firms,framed around so-called"high-risk"concerns,reflect a growing trend driven more by a politically motivated mindset rather than by technical assessments,Hu Qimu,a professor at the Maritime Silk Road Institute of Huaqiao University,told the Global Times on Thursday,noting that such a move will not only raise costs in Europe and slow its green transition,but also add uncertainty to China-EU economic relations and global supply chains.
The European Commission(EC)proposed a new cybersecurity package including a"Proposal for a Regulation for the EU Cybersecurity Act"on January 20,which aims to gradually phase out components and equipment from"high-risk suppliers"in critical infrastructure.This move is widely seen as targeting Chinese companies and forms part of a broader set of EU protectionist tools targeting China.
An insider told the Global Times recently that if the EU continues to escalate protectionist measures,China has a broad policy toolkit."China is neither unfamiliar with nor afraid of trade frictions,"the insider said,adding that any escalation"would harm both sides,disrupt global industrial and supply chains,and weigh on global growth."
At the same time,China and Europe are highly interdependent,and the recent frequent visits to China by leaders of several EU member states,including Germany and Spain,signal expectations for closer cooperation with China,said Hu,noting that"the facts have shown that China has brought Europe not'risks,'but market certainty,technological complementarity,energy stability,and openness to cooperation."
