China berates EU at World Trade Organization for policies it calls unfair
- In Geneva, China’s WTO ambassador, Li Chenggang, condemns a raft of EU policies intended to address Europe’s long-standing trade grievances with Beijing
- No measure mentions China directly, but they have been built to address Chinese policies that WTO rules are ill-equipped to handle, EU officials admit
China lashed out Monday at European Union trade measures aimed at Beijing, claiming they would have “serious ramifications” for the world trading system.
At a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Geneva, China’s ambassador Li Chenggang condemned a raft of EU policies intended to address Europe’s long-standing trade grievances with China.
He railed against a foreign subsidies act, investment screening, and a critical minerals law, described as “unjustified and discriminatory”. The European Chips Act was also panned as a front for “expanding export control measures” and hiking subsidies, according to a Geneva trade source.
No measure mentions China directly, but they have been built to address Beijing policies that WTO rules are ill-equipped to handle, EU officials privately admit.
The policies have also been carefully constructed to fit within the WTO’s rules, even if Brussels expects some of them to be challenged at the Geneva trade courts.