China Warns EU to End Wind Turbine Probe in Brussels Meeting

China’s trade remedy bureau chief met with the EU April 10 to express Beijing’s “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to the bloc’s recent launch of an investigation on Chinese wind turbine suppliers (see 2404100010). “This is a protectionist behavior that harms a fair competitive environment in the name of fair competition,” the official told the EU in Brussels, according to an unofficial translation of a readout released by China’s Ministry of Commerce. China said it “urges the EU to immediately stop and correct its wrong practices.”

The official also objected to the EU’s latest report on “significant state-induced distortions" in China's economy, which the bloc released the same day (see 2404100006). “China points out that the concept and standard of 'serious distortion' of the economy does not exist in the rules of the World Trade Organization,” the readout said. “The European side uses the so-called ‘serious distortion’ standard set by the EU unilaterally to evaluate China's market economy, which is completely inconsistent with the facts and will bring negative consequences to China-EU economic and trade relations.”

China added that it “reserves the right to take all necessary measures.”