China will not “yield an inch” as it negotiates over tariffs on electric vehicle (EVs) imports with the European Union, a social media account affiliated to a state broadcaster said on Thursday.
The strongly worded statement came ahead of planned talks on September 19 between commerce minister Wang Wentao and Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commission’s executive vice-president and trade commissioner.
“While China is always willing to seek consensus and resolve issues through communication in the face of friction, this does not mean that China will make concessions to ease the growing pressure from various trade disputes,” wrote Yuyuan Tantian, an account affiliated to China Central Television (CCTV), in a WeChat post.
“Regardless of whether negotiations move,” it said, citing people close to the bilateral negotiations, “China will not make any concessions on its core interests.”
The trade dispute between the EU and China over EVs reached a boiling point after the bloc levied provisional tariffs on Chinese producers during an anti-subsidy investigation.
