China condemns EU probe into electric vehicle subsidies as ‘sheer protectionism’
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announces an investigation, saying the prices for Chinese-made EVs are ‘kept artificially low’
- Wang Lutong, Beijing’s top official for European affairs, responds by contending that ‘many EU members subsidise their electric vehicle industries’
China has slammed the European Union’s decision to investigate subsidies in its booming electric vehicle market as “sheer protectionism”.
Beijing’s top official for European affairs Wang Lutong bit back hours later, posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, that “many EU members subsidise their electric vehicle industries”, citing statistics from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
“In what position is @EU_Commission to launch anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles from #China? This is nothing but sheer protectionism,” Wang wrote.
An accompanying screengrab listed incentives buyers of electric vehicles can enjoy in France and Germany, including tax exemptions and discount bonuses.
EU officials estimate that Chinese branded electric vehicles are undercutting local models by 20 per cent on the European market. Pre-investigations have reportedly uncovered evidence of subsidies across China’s EV supply chain.