PARIS, April 8 (Reuters) – Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao continued his trip to France on Monday in a commercial context tense by anti-competitive investigations launched by Europe and China, respectively on Chinese electric vehicles and spirits Europeans.
Wang Wentao was to meet members of the National Interprofessional Cognac Bureau (BNIC) as well as other business leaders. An interview was also planned with the Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire.
The minister began his European tour on Sunday in Paris, where he met the current president of the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (Acea) and CEO of Renault, Luca de Meo, a source close to the minister told Reuters. case.
According to this source, Luca de Meo insisted on the importance of the principle of reciprocity between the two countries, and pleaded for joint R&D development programs on future technologies, such as battery chemistry, so that Europe catches up. behind China, which is a generation ahead in electric vehicles.
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The European Commission has opened an investigation into whether to impose tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles to protect European carmakers. The conclusions should be released by November.
Beijing disputes the fact that the growth of its electric vehicle manufacturers is linked to subsidies which make them much more competitive with their competitors and accuses the European Union of “protectionism”.
In response to France, which supports the European investigation, China in turn opened an anti-subsidy investigation targeting cognac imports.
Martell & Co, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard, the company Jas Hennessy & Co of the luxury group LVMH and E. Remy Martin & Co of Rémy Cointreau, are targeted by the Chinese investigation.
During a roundtable discussion Sunday attended by Chinese automakers BYD, Geely and SAIC, the minister reiterated Beijing’s position that Chinese electric vehicle companies do not rely on subsidies to gain a competitive advantage.
Accusations of “overcapacity” made by the United States and Europe are unfounded, he added.
He also told them that the Chinese government will actively support businesses to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.
Wang Wentao also met on Sunday with representatives of the French cosmetics industry, including Hermès and L’Oreal, two industry sources told Reuters.
The Chinese minister’s visit precedes that of President Xi Jinping scheduled for May in Paris as part of the sixtieth anniversary of Franco-Chinese diplomatic relations. A trip intended to be largely devoted to trade tensions between Brussels and Beijing.
Wang Wentao is scheduled to travel to Verona, Italy, on Friday for an economic forum in the presence of Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the Italian government announced. (Gilles Guillaume and Elizabeth Pineau in Paris, Brendah in Shanghai and Andrew Hayley in Beijing, French version Kate Entringer, edited by Sophie Louet)
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