Illustration of trade tensions between the EU and China - Photo: ORCA
China's July 6 announcement is Beijing's next step after the EU issued a similar ban on Chinese companies.
In a statement, China's Ministry of Finance said EU companies, except those with European investment but registered in China, will be excluded from Chinese government medical equipment procurement bids worth over 45 million yuan.
According to AFP news agency, the regulation takes effect immediately and applies to a wide range of products: from artificial devices and accessories (prosthetics) to medical machines and surgical instruments.
In addition, the Ministry of Finance also made it clear that Beijing will restrict the import of medical equipment with components produced in the EU accounting for more than 50% of the contract value. The application period is also from July 6.
This is the latest retaliation reflects the strained relationship between the world 's two major partners.
According to the Times of India , Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a diplomatic visit to the EU headquarters in Belgium, then visited France and Germany last week to ease worries, but long-standing problems still exist, mainly due to the trade deficit of up to 357.1 billion USD between the EU and China.
In a statement regarding the tension between China and the EU issued on July 6, the Chinese Ministry of Finance said that Beijing has repeatedly expressed its willingness to resolve disagreements through bilateral dialogue, but the EU has continued to implement restrictive measures and set up new barriers.
"Therefore, China is forced to take corresponding restrictive measures," the Ministry of Finance statement said.
Trade relations between China and the EU have shown signs of continued tension. On June 20, the EU announced a ban on Chinese companies from bidding for contracts to procure medical equipment worth 5 million euros (about 5.8 million USD) or more, citing a lack of equal access to the Chinese market.
The EU restrictions cover a range of medical supplies, from surgical masks to X-ray machines. At the time, the European Commission (EC) said it was a response to the bloc's exclusion of medical equipment from Chinese government contracts.
This is the first time the EU has introduced a measure under the bloc's International Procurement Instrument (IPI). Approved and set to come into force in 2022, the mechanism will give the EU more leverage in negotiations with its non-EU partners to ensure equal access to public procurement markets.
According to EC figures, nearly 90% of public procurement contracts in the medical device sector in China show signs of discrimination or exclusion against EU businesses.
In addition to medical devices, the EU and China also have concerns in other areas such as electric cars, railways, solar panels, wind turbines and most recently, spirits.
The new tensions come as the two sides are scheduled to hold a summit in China later this month to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations. But according to Bloomberg, Beijing may cancel the second day of the summit, which is supposed to resolve trade tensions between the two sides.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/trung-quoc-dap-tra-eu-han-che-hop-dong-mua-sam-thiet-bi-y-te-20250706180607583.htm
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