According to the Observer, a spokesman for the European Commission announced on September 12 that the European side intends to reject the solution submitted by the Chinese side on the grounds that the proposal submitted by the China Chamber of Commerce for Mechanical and Electrical Appliances and all electric vehicle manufacturers "does not meet" the European side's requirements for solving the problem of electric vehicle prices.
In fact, since China and the EU decided to start consultations on the "EV countervailing case" in June, the two sides have carried out more than 10 rounds of consultations, but the EU side has been slow to agree to the solution proposed by the Chinese side, and now it has rudely decided to reject it.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
In this regard, the Chinese side expressed "deep disappointment".
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce pointed out that the EU's move ignores the sincerity and efforts of the Chinese industry, and puts forward a proposal to reject China's solution without in-depth communication, which not only does not meet the expectations of EU member states, but also undermines the confidence of China-EU cooperation.
In fact, just recently, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao has decided to visit Europe and plans to hold consultations with the European Commission's Executive Vice President Dombrovskis on September 19.
However, before the negotiations officially began, the European side claimed that it planned to reject the solution submitted by the Chinese industry, which was nothing more than a goal. That is to put pressure on China to gain more bargaining chips, which is a consistent routine of Western countries in negotiations.
In other words, if Europe has enough bargaining chips in this matter, it will naturally not be able to use this trick, and now the European Commission is in a hurry to play "this card" against China, which just shows that the European side has no cards to play in its hands for a long time, so it can only make this move.
European Commission
Although the EU has long launched a countervailing investigation into China's electric vehicles, the measure has not yet officially taken effect because of serious divisions within the EU over the matter.
In a July intent survey, for example, EU member states voted internally on whether to decide to impose tariffs on China. As a result, only 12 of the 27 member states were in favour, another 11 abstained, and four voted against.
The result of such a vote is enough to show that there are obvious differences within the EU around this matter.
Just earlier this month, after Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited China, he immediately began to put pressure on Brussels, calling on the European side to reconsider the decision to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advocating the search for a solution acceptable to both China and Europe.
Spain Prime Minister Sanchez
The move was immediately echoed by Germany, with Berlin welcoming Sanchez's statement and saying that "this is the direction we are moving forward together."
Not only Germany, but also Hungary, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, has repeatedly made it clear that it opposes tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
The European Commission has to listen to the voices of these EU member states, and with the proportion of Spain and Germany in the EU's population, the will of these two countries will largely influence the outcome of the European Commission's vote.
As for China, our position is clear, and our willingness to properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation is our sincerity and resolute commitment to safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, and our bottom line.
EU-China relations
As the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce of China said, China will closely follow the follow-up progress of the EU side and will take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.