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EU says any retaliatory trade probe by China must be ‘based on facts’
- Beijing hints that it will strike back against European trade measures, which include scrutiny of industrial subsidies in China’s electric vehicle sector
- ‘We are going to act if we see objective reasons to act, and we see other countries not following internationally agreed rules,’ says EU’s trade chief
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Finbarr Berminghamin Brussels
China must stick to the facts if it is to launch trade investigations into European products. That was the message from the European Union’s trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis in an interview in Brussels on Wednesday, in response to a veiled Chinese threat that it would retaliate over the bloc’s trade measures against it.
The EU is investigating industrial subsidies in China’s electric vehicle sector, which could result in duties being imposed on their imports, while it is rumoured that other products are being lined up for scrutiny.
In what was seen as a retaliatory move, China started an investigation into French cognac this month. Its ambassador to the EU, Fu Cong, told Bloomberg on Wednesday that “there are many things that could be subject to investigation” if China chose to follow the EU approach, fuelling fears that a trade war is in the works.
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“Something I’ve emphasised in my contacts with Chinese counterparts is that our investigation is going to be based on the rules and based on facts and figures, so it’s not arbitrary,” said Dombrovskis, who is from Latvia.
02:54
French and EU leaders visit China to discuss trade and the Russia-Ukraine war
French and EU leaders visit China to discuss trade and the Russia-Ukraine war
“Countries may have trade disputes, that is not unheard of, but it’s important that we follow rules and procedures to address them … I am emphasising the need for all sides to stick with a rules-based, facts-based approach.”
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