BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday called on the European Union (EU) to view bilateral economic and trade relations in a non-emotional and unprejudiced manner, as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and there will be important high-level exchanges.
China hopes that the EU side will engage in less criticism and more communication, less protectionism and more openness, less anxiety and more action, less labeling and more consultations, commerce ministry spokesperson He Yongqian remarked at a regular press briefing when responding to the recent comments made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The spokesperson noted that the EU leader's comments did not accurately reflect the current state of China-EU economic relations nor the positive progress achieved through dialogue between economic and trade authorities from both sides.
Regarding market access, the spokesperson said China had consistently expanded high-level opening-up, completely removing restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector and proactively increasing imports from Europe through platforms like the China International Import Expo.
In contrast, the EU has in recent years 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 fundamental principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the spirit of free trade, said the spokesperson.
The EU has frequently launched investigations against Chinese companies regarding foreign subsidies and other matters, leading to a continuous regression in market openness and deterioration of the business environment, the spokesperson added.
On subsidies, the spokesperson highlighted the EU's double standards, noting that the bloc itself is a major provider of subsidies, with those for aircraft, agriculture and other sectors all having been ruled as violations by the WTO.
According to incomplete statistics, the EU plans to provide over 1.44 trillion euros in various subsidies between 2021 and 2030, with member states offering additional subsidies worth hundreds of billions of euros, said the spokesperson.
On government procurement, the spokesperson said that the European public procurement market contains numerous implicit barriers despite claims of fairness and openness, with policies encouraging the purchase of European goods.
The EU side has used international procurement instruments to adopt measures restricting Chinese companies and products from participating in its medical device public procurement, said the spokesperson, noting that it is against this background that China has had to adopt reciprocal countermeasures to protect the legitimate interests of Chinese companies.
On export controls, the spokesperson emphasized that China's measures are prudent and moderate, covering far fewer items than the EU's control list. The spokesperson added that 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.
Regarding so-called "overcapacity," the spokesperson said output and export volumes alone cannot determine overcapacity, arguing that China's new energy industry actually faces capacity shortages from a global and long-term perspective.
What is excessive is not China's production capacity, but rather the EU's anxiety stemming from insufficient long-term R&D investment and declining industrial competitiveness, said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson said that China is willing to work with the EU to expand mutual market access, strengthen dialogue on government procurement and export controls, deepen supply chain cooperation, and promote WTO reform, injecting more stability, certainty and positive energy into building an open global economy.