China Calls on EU to View Bilateral Relations Non-Emotionally Amid 50th Diplomatic Anniversary

Amid the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, China's commerce ministry called on the EU to view their economic and trade relations in a non-emotional and unprejudiced manner. China's spokesperson, He Yongqian, emphasized the need for less criticism and more communication, less protectionism and more openness, and less anxiety and more action. The comments come after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's recent remarks, which China deemed did not accurately reflect the current state of China-EU economic relations.

Key Takeaways:

• China has consistently expanded high-level opening-up, completely removing restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector.
• China has proactively increased imports from Europe through platforms like the China International Import Expo.
• The EU has practiced protectionism in the name of fair trade, abused trade remedy instruments, and exploited gaps in international trade rules to create unilateral tools that contradict the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the spirit of free trade.
• The EU has launched investigations against Chinese companies regarding foreign subsidies, leading to a continuous regression in market openness and deterioration of the business environment.
• The EU plans to provide over 1.44 trillion euros in various subsidies between 2021 and 2030.
• The European public procurement market contains numerous implicit barriers despite claims of fairness and openness.
• China has established a special green channel to expedite approval for European enterprises, while the EU's high-tech export control approval process remains slow and cumbersome.
• Output and export volumes alone cannot determine overcapacity, and China's new energy industry actually faces capacity shortages from a global and long-term perspective.

Statistics:

• China has proactively increased imports from Europe through platforms like the China International Import Expo (no specific statistics provided).
• The EU plans to provide over $1.44 trillion (1.44 trillion euros) in various subsidies between 2021 and 2030.
• China's measures on export controls cover far fewer items than the EU's control list (no specific statistics provided).
• The EU's high-tech export control approval process remains slow and cumbersome, with no specific statistics provided.

Sources:

• Xinhua via COMTEX
• Xinhua News Agency