ISLAMABAD (PEN) : China firmly opposes the European Union’s protectionist move to limit Chinese firms and products from participating in major public procurement tenders of medical devices, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.
The spokesperson made the remarks in response to a media inquiry, after the European Commission decided to exclude Chinese companies from EU government purchases of medical devices exceeding €5 million (roughly $5.35 million).
Despite China’s repeated goodwill and sincerity conveyed through bilateral dialogue, the EU acted unilaterally, using a one-sided tool to build new protectionist barriers, said the spokesperson, adding that this not only harms the interests of Chinese enterprises, but also seriously undermines fair competition.
China urged the EU to immediately correct its wrong actions and will take measures to firmly protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, said the spokesperson.
Noting this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations, the spokesperson said on the basis of the overall picture of China-EU economic and trade relations, China is willing to continue dialogue and consultation with the EU, properly address economic and trade frictions, and stabilize the confidence and expectations of China-EU business cooperation.
