He Yadong, spokesperson for China’s commerce ministry, leveled the accusation on Thursday, claiming the EU is leveraging cybersecurity and industrial development as a facade for discriminatory trade practices. At the heart of the friction is the ‘Made in Europe’ provision, which incentivizes public buyers to prioritize EU suppliers over foreign competitors. Beijing insists Brussels must excise these clauses to ensure a transparent environment for international companies.
Beijing demands EU scrap local procurement rules in industrial bill
China has launched a direct challenge to the European Union’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, branding the legislation as protectionist. Beijing’s commerce ministry argues that the draft’s local preference requirements violate global trade rules, setting the stage for a tense diplomatic confrontation ahead of an October deadline to resolve ongoing trade disputes.
Brussels designed the framework to blunt its heavy industrial reliance on China, yet the policy has sparked concerns beyond Beijing. Nations including the UK have signaled that their own firms could face collateral damage if the legislation passes in its current form. As both sides approach the October showdown, the dispute underscores the widening rift between EU efforts to secure domestic supply chains and the global trade obligations that China contends are being dismantled.
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