China has pledged to stand behind its firms following an announcement by European Union state aid regulators that the wind turbine manufacturer Goldwind Science & Technology is the subject of an inquiry into whether it received foreign subsidies that may have given it an unfair market advantage in Europe.
On Tuesday EU regulators said they were examining evidence that Chinese support to Goldwind could have distorted competition in European markets. The probe was opened under the EU's Foreign Subsidies Regulation, the mechanism the bloc uses to review potential distortions resulting from subsidies provided by non-EU governments.
Responding on Wednesday, a spokesperson for China's commerce ministry urged the EU to "immediately correct its wrongful actions" and to "exercise caution in using the Foreign Subsidies Regulation unilateral investigative tool." The spokesperson also called on the EU to work toward establishing "a fair, just and predictable market environment for China-EU cooperation."
"We urge the EU to immediately correct its wrongful actions and exercise caution in using the Foreign Subsidies Regulation unilateral investigative tool," a Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson said Wednesday.
China's foreign ministry issued its own statement the same day, characterizing the EU measures as "discriminatory and restrictive" and saying they send "a protectionist signal." Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters that the EU's "frequent use of unilateral trade and economic tools" harms its image and undermines the confidence of Chinese businesses considering investment in Europe.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the EU's "frequent use of unilateral trade and economic tools" damages its image and weakens Chinese companies' confidence about investing in Europe.
The exchange highlights tensions between the EU's enforcement of its foreign subsidy rules and Beijing's objections to what it perceives as targeting of Chinese enterprises. Officials in both Chinese ministries framed their comments around protecting firms and preserving a predictable environment for bilateral cooperation.
Please note that public statements quoted above were made by officials identified by their ministry affiliations as reported by regulators and ministry spokespeople; no additional details on the EU inquiry or investigative findings were provided in those statements.
Summary: EU regulators have opened an investigation into whether Goldwind received foreign subsidies that gave it a competitive edge in Europe. China has publicly opposed the probe, with commerce and foreign ministry spokespeople calling for corrective action and caution in the use of unilateral investigative tools under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation.