China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao (right) meets with the EU's industry chief Thierry Breton on Friday in Beijing. Photo: mofcom.gov.cn

China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has called on the EU to provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for China-EU trade cooperation.

The remarks were made by Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao during a meeting with the EU's industry chief Thierry Breton on Friday.

The two sides exchanged views on China-EU economic and trade relations and cooperation on electric vehicles, 5G and supply chains.

Wang raised concerns about the EU probe into Chinese electric vehicle (EV) subsidies and restrictions on Chinese companies' participation in the EU's 5G construction.

Breton said China and the EU can still carry out mutually beneficial cooperation in many fields, even though there are differences. The EU is willing to strengthen communication with China and jointly build a stable and mutually trusting supply chain.

During his ongoing visit to China, Breton will stay in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, and go to Hong Kong on November 11, according to politico.eu.

The visit came after the EU launched an investigation into Chinese EV makers over subsidies in September. MOFCOM expressed serious concern and strong opposition to the move, calling the EU's behavior "blatant protectionism."

Chinese experts said that the investigation has cast a dark cloud over an emerging EV sector that is considered essential to the global fight against climate change. Additional duties could put off buyers in European markets, while also distorting prices and disrupting supplies in the long run.

In June this year, the EU told its members to ban Chinese telecom giants Huawei Technologies and ZTE from their 5G networks, saying they carry "materially higher risks than other suppliers," according to scmp.com.

Politico also reported that EU leaders will fly to China next month for the first face-to-face summit to be held in four years.

Global Times