BEIJING – Beijing said yesterday it is kicking off a formal probe into EU practices after the bloc launched an anti-subsidy investigation of a range of Chinese transport and green energy firms. Trade tensions between Beijing and Brussels have spiralled in recent months, with the European Union taking aim at China’s support for its renewables and electric-vehicle sectors in particular.

China has denied that its industrial policies are unfair and has repeatedly threatened retaliation to safeguard its companies’ legal rights and interests.

Its commerce ministry said yesterday it would “conduct a trade and investment barrier investigation into the relevant practices adopted by the EU in its investigation of Chinese enterprises”.

The probe followed a complaint made by the national chamber of commerce for importing and exporting machinery and electronics, the ministry said in a statement.

The complaint mainly dealt with “products such as railway locomotives, photovoltaics, wind power and security inspection equipment”, it said.

The ministry added that the probe would examine the EU’s “preliminary reviews, in-depth investigations and surprise inspections of Chinese enterprises”.

It said the investigation would likely last until 10 January 2025, but may be extended by a further three months under “special circumstances”.

The EU has previously launched similar probes into Beijing’s support for domestically produced trains, solar panels and electric cars.

They have come as the 27-nation bloc seeks to scale up renewable energy use to meet its target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

But it also wants to step away from what it sees as excessive reliance on Chinese technology at a time when many Western governments increasingly see Beijing as a national security threat. – Nampa/AFP