The European Commission is facing criticism from China’s Commerce Minister, Wang Wentao, who accused the commission of engaging in protectionist actions that hinder green initiatives. During a recent Italy-China economic forum in Verona, Wang expressed his confusion over the EU’s support for sustainable development while investigating Chinese wind turbine suppliers involved in wind park development across various countries.
The EU and the US have criticized China for flooding global markets with low-cost products across multiple industries, leading to domestic growth issues. However, Wang found it perplexing that the EU commission took actions that could negatively impact sectors such as electric cars, solar panels, and wind turbines by investigating Chinese subsidies. He emphasized the inconsistency in the EU’s approach to creating subsidies for European companies while investigating Chinese subsidies, which could damage confidence in cooperation.
China’s foreign ministry has criticized the EU’s protectionism and discriminatory measures against Chinese enterprises and industries, expressing concern over the potential backlash faced by Chinese companies. Despite Italy’s withdrawal from China’s Belt and Road Initiative in December 2019, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasized a desire to strengthen trade ties with China. Tajani’s comments signaled a continued interest in bolstering economic relations with China despite Italy’s exit from the initiative due to lack of expected economic benefits.
