Mao Ning, a Chinese Communist Party official and Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, has said China is “highly concerned over the EU’s discriminatory actions against Chinese companies” after it was announced EU authorities are investigating Chinese wind turbine suppliers.
The diplomat’s comments were made during a press conference held yesterday. Asked to respond to the inquiry, and earlier EU investigations into China’s solar PV and electric vehicle sectors, she said “many in the world are deeply unsettled by the EU’s rising protectionist tendency”.
“We hope the EU will not keep stressing the importance of fighting climate change on the one hand and yet damage the global efforts to deal with the issue on the other,” she said. “Protectionism does not solve one’s own problems. Protectionism only protects backwardness.”
Mao Ning added that China’s new energy sectors’ development is the result of “strong technology, robust market and full-fledged industrial chains”. She said China urges the EU to observe World Trade Organization rules and market principles, adding China will “firmly protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies”.
Upon announcing the EU’s inquiry, the European Commission’s Executive Vice President, Margrethe Vestager, said unspecified wind turbine manufacturers from China have allegedly distorted market competition in the European renewable energy market.
Vestager provided little details about the ongoing inquiry at the time, but confirmed EU authorities are investigating the deployment of several wind farms in Spain, Greece, France, Romania and Bulgaria.
This investigation followed another probe launched last week to determine whether two consortia violated the Foreign Subsidies Regulation in a 110 MW PV tender in Romania.
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Manufacturers don’t “distort market competition”, regulation does. “Over regulation” is an oxymoron. The political ploy of “protectionism” leads to global tension, increased prices, restraint of trade, not to mention a prelude to war. Regulation is a tax on productivity, innovation, progress. Taxation is theft.