China News Service, Beijing, March 22 (Xie Yanbing, Huang Yuqin) Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian hosted a regular press conference on the 22nd.
A reporter asked: China's electric vehicles have recently encountered "headwinds" when going overseas. Not long ago, the European Union issued a notice to require customs registration of electric vehicles imported from China, and may impose "retrospective tariffs" on related vehicles in the future. The United Kingdom and the United States are preparing to conduct countervailing investigations or national security risk investigations into Chinese electric vehicles. U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen said the government is taking steps to ensure the success of the electric vehicle industry in the United States. What's the spokesperson's comment on this?
Lin Jian: Electric vehicles are a global industry. Only division of labor and cooperation can achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. Only fair competition can lead to technological progress. Implementing protectionism and trade barriers in the name of "fair competition" and "national security" violates the principles of market economy and WTO rules. In the short term, it seems to be advantageous, but what is protected is backwardness, what is lost is the future, and what is caused is multiple losses. , in the long run it will only harm the interests of domestic industries and consumers, and affect the green transformation of the global economy and efforts to deal with climate change. In fact, there are many objections to this from the American and European automobile industries. Many European car company executives and business associations believe that the West should not be afraid of Chinese electric vehicles, and that imposing additional tariffs and other restrictive measures will not help solve the problems facing its own competitiveness.
What I want to emphasize is that the reason why China's electric vehicles are so popular depends on technological innovation and excellent quality formed in global market competition, and it is by no means dependent on subsidies for support and protection. At the same time, China has completely lifted restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector and has always opened its door to global auto companies. Auto companies from all over the world have fully enjoyed the dividends of China's large market. In 2023, China will remain Tesla's second largest market in the world. Tesla's retail sales in China will exceed 600,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 37.3%, with annual revenue of US$21.75 billion. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Volkswagen have long become familiar car brands to Chinese people. It is reported that while the West is uneasy about China's electric vehicles going overseas, a Volkswagen is sold in China about every ten seconds.
Economic globalization is the general trend, protectionism is absolutely undesirable, and the abuse of trade remedy measures violates international economic and trade rules. Only by adhering to mutually beneficial cooperation can we make the pie bigger, and only by transcending the zero-sum game can we achieve win-win results. We hope that relevant parties will listen carefully to the rational voice of the industry, earnestly abide by WTO rules, respect the laws of market economy, stop politicizing, securitizing, and ideologicalizing economic and trade issues, and provide open and fair investment and operations for enterprises from all over the world, including Chinese enterprises. , a fair and non-discriminatory environment. (over)