China’s commerce minister accused the European Commission of engaging in protectionist actions that conflict with green initiatives during the Italy-China economic forum in Verona. Wang Wentao criticized the EU for carrying the flag for green sustainable development while launching investigations into Chinese subsidies, including those for wind turbine suppliers in Spain, Greece, France, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Both the European Union and the United States have accused China of flooding global markets with low-cost products from various industries, harming domestic growth. Wang expressed confusion over the EU’s actions that block sectors like electric cars, solar panels, and wind turbines. He pointed out that while the commission creates subsidies for European companies, it scrutinizes subsidies provided by China.
The commission’s actions could undermine Chinese companies’ confidence in cooperation, as they may see it as discriminatory against them. China’s foreign ministry criticized EU protectionism that protects backwardness and expressed concern over discriminatory measures against Chinese enterprises and industries. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated Italy’s intention to strengthen trade ties with China, even though Rome withdrew from the Belt and Road Initiative in December due to lack of expected economic benefits. Italy had joined the project in 2019, becoming the only G7 country to participate.