Today (24th), the European Union announced the launch of an investigation into the public procurement of medical devices in China, a move that may further exacerbate tensions between China and the EU.
Italy's Tgcom24 website reported that today, the European Union announced that it had launched an investigation into market access issues in China's medical device government procurement. The European Union said in an official communiqué that concerns about China's bias in the procurement of medical devices and the imposition of import restrictions "have led to unusually low offers that profit-oriented companies cannot sustain." ”
This is the first investigation initiated by the EU within the scope of the International Procurement Mechanism. The mechanism aims to facilitate reciprocal access to the international public procurement market.
Xinhua
The investigation will be completed within nine months, but the European Commission may extend the investigation period for a further five months. The communiqué said that the Chinese side will be invited to provide comments and relevant information, and that the Chinese side can also consult with the European Commission to eliminate or correct the alleged measures and practices.
If the investigation determines that there has been unfair practice, the EU could restrict Chinese companies from entering the public procurement markets in the 27 member states.
According to a 2023 report by the Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics), a think tank specializing in China, China is the second-largest market for medical devices after the United States, with a market value of about 135 billion euros in 2022.
The European Union has recently launched a series of investigations into China's subsidies for green technologies, including wind turbines, electric vehicles, solar panels, etc., in an attempt to wean itself off its over-reliance on Chinese technology.
In fact, since the Russia-Ukraine war began to highlight Europe's dependence on Russian energy, there have been voices within the EU that want to "get rid of" economic ties with China.
Yesterday (23rd), the European Parliament also approved a regulation banning the use of so-called "forced labor" products. According to the report, supporters want to use this ban to restrict Chinese imports.
Pixabay network
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in response to a reporter's question today about the EU's launch of an investigation into China's medical device procurement: "Recently, the EU has frequently used the economic and trade toolbox and trade remedy measures to send a protectionist signal, targeting Chinese companies and damaging the EU's image." ”
Wang Wenbin said, "The EU has always advertised itself as 'the most open market in the world', but what the outside world sees is that the EU is moving towards protectionism step by step. We urge the EU to abide by its commitment to open markets and the principle of fair competition, abide by WTO rules, and stop unwarrantedly suppressing and restricting Chinese companies under various pretexts. ”
(Yi Yi Yi original, translation: Sasha, editor: Shu Liao, see the annotation for the picture source, please indicate Yi Yi: oushitalia for reprinting)