|
Tension between China and the EU is growing, partly because of
Beijing's closer ties with Moscow after Russia's invasion of
Ukraine, while the bloc seeks to cut reliance on the world's
second-largest economy in its push for a green transition.
"We need a fair and open trade environment," the automaker's
president, Mu Feng, said on his Weibo social media account on
Monday. "We have the confidence to win the competition
globally."
Great Wall, which provided its answers to the European
Commission on Oct. 11, was the first automaker to have done so,
he added.
"Europe is one of the key strategic markets for Great Wall
Motor," Mu said, adding that the company had big plans for the
region, having begun site selection efforts for a plant there,
envisaging full capabilities from production to sales.
The Chinese company did not immediately respond to a request for
comment on Tuesday.
Great Wall Motor plans to build a plant in Europe and Germany
was one of the candidates for the site, the German publication
Automobilwoche said in May.
Brussels began the investigation this month to decide whether to
set up tariff barriers against what European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen has called a flood of cheaper
Chinese EV imports benefiting from state subsidies.
It is examining EVs made both by Chinese manufacturers and
foreign firms, such as Tesla, BMW and Renault, in China.
China has complained about the "very short" time the EU set for
consultations on the inquiry, saying it lacked adequate evidence
and did not conform to the rules of the World Trade Organization
(WTO).
European car makers are racing to catch up with China in turning
out lower-cost EVs, especially as the likes of Chinese
manufacturers BYD, Xpeng and Nio look to expand overseas.
Great Wall Motor ranked eighth in terms of sales of pure
electric and plug-in hybrid cars in China during the first nine
months of the year, industry figures show.
(Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by Clarence
Fernandez)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
