Key Points
- China has criticized the EU’s reported plan to phase out Chinese suppliers from critical infrastructure. The foreign ministry called the move “naked protectionism.”
- The EU proposal would reportedly bar companies like Huawei and ZTE from telecom and solar projects.
- The move is part of the EU’s broader “de-risking” strategy to reduce its reliance on China.
- China warned that the move would hinder Europe’s own technological development and cause financial losses.
China’s foreign ministry has lashed out at the European Union over a reported plan to phase out Chinese suppliers from critical infrastructure, calling the move “naked protectionism.” In a statement on Monday, the ministry urged the EU to provide a fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies.
The statement was a response to a Financial Times report that said Brussels is preparing to propose a ban on companies like Huawei and ZTE from being involved in telecom networks and solar energy systems. The proposal is expected to be presented on Tuesday as part of a broader revamp of the EU’s security and tech policy.
“Turning trade into security and political issues will hinder technological progress and economic growth and do no one any good,” the Chinese foreign ministry said.
The EU has been growing increasingly cautious about the involvement of Chinese companies in its critical infrastructure, especially as it pursues a “de-risking” strategy to reduce its reliance on China. In another move to curb its dependence on Chinese imports, the EU is also planning to impose “Made-in-Europe” requirements for public purchases of key green technologies.
Relations between China and the EU have been strained in recent years. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last year that the relationship was at an “inflection point.”
China, for its part, argued that removing its “quality and secure” equipment from European networks will not only hurt Europe’s own technological development but also result in “heavy financial losses.”
