China’s anti-subsidies investigations into brandy, pork, and dairy shipped from the European Union (EU) have been criticized by the bloc’s trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis. During a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, Dombrovskis expressed that these investigations are unwarranted and lack sufficient evidence. He called for them to be terminated and assured that the EU will defend its industries’ interests. China’s Ministry of Commerce stated that Wang and Dombrovskis have agreed to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution.
The EU’s 27 member states are set to vote on whether to impose five-year electric vehicle (EV) duties in the coming weeks. The introduction of these duties can only be defeated if a qualified majority of 15 EU members representing 65 percent of the population votes against them.
Prior to meeting with Dombrovskis, Wang met with representatives from Chinese and European EV makers on September 18th. He pledged to continue negotiation efforts until the last minute. Wang also engaged with senior trade officials in Rome and Berlin earlier this week, expressing concerns about how the EU’s tariffs hike could impact trade and investment cooperation between Beijing and Berlin.
Trade tensions have escalated recently as China initiated several tit-for-tat trade probes into EU products. According to an interview with The Epoch Times, Huang (no first name provided) stated that China aims not only to revive its economy but also harvest data from a larger user base through flooding global markets with China-made EVs.
Huang believes that developing the EV industry is part of China’s strategy to tighten control over society by collecting personal data through sensors in electric vehicles. This surveillance extends beyond Chinese users as it potentially includes monitoring individuals using their phones or laptops inside these vehicles.
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