China today defended that the tariffs imposed by the European Commission on Chinese electric vehicles will harm the “green transformation of the community bloc” and the global response to climate change.
As revealed by “RTP”, which cites the “Lusa” agency, the spokesperson for the National Development and Reform Commission of China, Li Chao, stated at a press conference that “the tariffs will distort global automotive supply chains and harm consumers in the European Union (EU). In addition, they will harm the EU’s own green transformation process and the global response to climate change”.
The same official added that “trade protectionism is not the solution” and the tariffs “will hinder the long-term healthy development of EU companies”.
China “actively supports automotive companies worldwide to participate in fair competition and maintain the stability of supply chains”, he added, stating that he hopes the EU will “be prudent, respect basic economic laws and rules of the World Trade Organization, and also listen to the industry itself”.
On the sidelines of the conference, Li Chao argued that the new energy vehicle industry has developed “very rapidly” in China and provides “a large number of high-quality models”.
“They are very well received by domestic and foreign consumers. The key to this rapid development lies in the application of the law, respect for competition in the market, and our persistence in openness. In addition, the concept of ecological development is deeply rooted in society, becoming a trend, and the automotive industry has followed this consumer-oriented trend,” he said.
The statements came after the European Commission announced on Wednesday additional tariffs of 21%, on average, on imports of electric vehicles from China, following an investigation into subsidies granted by the Chinese government, launched in October of last year.
