Beijing criticized Europe for ‘suppressing’ Chinese companies

According to AFP and Reuters News Agency, the European Union (EU) is concerned that China is favoring domestic suppliers in the process of purchasing medical equipment.

The EU is also worried that Beijing may restrict imports and impose conditions “leading to unusually low bid prices”, affecting the bloc’s businesses.

If the investigation finds unfair behavior by China, the EU could restrict Chinese companies’ access to the 27-nation bloc’s public procurement market.

This is the first investigation within the framework of the EU’s International Procurement Instrument mechanism to promote reciprocity in access to international public procurement markets.

It is expected that the investigation will take place for 9 months and the European Commission (EC) can extend it for another 5 months.

The EU also asks Beijing to express its views and provide relevant information, and may organize consultations with the EC on this issue.

According to a 2023 report by China-focused consulting organization MERICS, the country’s medical device market is worth about 135 billion euros ($145 billion) in 2022, the second largest after the United States.

China reacted immediately to this information.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin declared: “The EU always prides itself on being the most open market in the world, but of course what the outside world sees is that the EU is gradually moving towards protectionism.” household”.

He also asked the EU to “stop using any excuse to oppress and restrict Chinese businesses without reason”.

Information about the investigation was announced just one day after the European Commission raided the offices in the Netherlands and Poland of a Chinese security equipment company.

European companies and governments have been complaining about access to the Chinese market for a long time.

In early April, the EU also angered China after announcing an investigation into the country’s wind turbine suppliers.

Previously in October 2023, the EU opened a major investigation targeting cheap Chinese electric vehicles.