Ministry of Commerce: Opposes the EU's abuse of unilateral tools such as the "Foreign Subsidies Regulation" to suppress Chinese enterprises.

On August 20, the Ministry of Commerce held a regular press conference. He Yadong, the spokesperson for the Ministry, stated that China has consistently opposed the EU's abuse of unilateral instruments such as the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) to suppress Chinese enterprises. In May of this year, China issued a prohibition order for the first time in the case of Tongfang Weishi. Recently, the EU has again unreasonably demanded a large volume of extensive information related to the investigation, unrelated information from relevant banking institutions within China in the JD.com case. In response, relevant departments of the Chinese government, based on a thorough investigation, determined that the EUs cross-border investigation practices against relevant Chinese entities in the FSR investigation of JD.com constituted improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures under the Anti-Foreign Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Regulation of the People's Republic of China, and required that no organization or individual may implement or assist in implementing such measures. He Yadong emphasized that China and the EU have established a Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism (TIC) and reached a consensus on managing differences through dialogue. He expressed hope that the EU would work towards mutual understanding with China, quickly correct the erroneous practices in the FSR investigation, and strengthen communication through intergovernmental dialogue. China will closely monitor the EU's actions and take necessary measures to firmly safeguard national security and the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises. The original text is as follows: The Ministry of Commerce held a regular press conference (August 20, 2026) [He Yadong]: Friends from the press: Good afternoon, and welcome to the regular press conference of the Ministry of Commerce. I don't have any information to report to you today. I would like to answer questions from the press. Please go ahead with your questions. [International Business Daily reporter]: In the first seven months, China's import growth has been impressive. What is the Ministry of Commerces view on this? How effective have the "Exporting to China" series of activities been? [He Yadong]: Just as you mentioned, in the first seven months of this year, our country's imports increased by 22%, maintaining a good growth momentum, with positive growth in imports from more than 150 trade partners. Behind these numbers is the continued release of China's vast market potential, demonstrating the endurance and vitality of the Chinese market. On the one hand, the effectiveness of proactive import expansion policies is evident. China has orderly expanded its independent and unilateral openings, continuously releasing import potential. From May to June, our imports from Africa increased by 23.5% year-on-year, with imports of avocados, apples, and oranges rising by 1.3 times, 89.6%, and 27.9%, respectively. On the other hand, the promotional effect of brand activities is significant. So far, over 40 events in the "Exporting to China" series have been held both domestically and internationally, with high-quality products from nearly 100 countries expanding their influence in China through the series of event platforms. In the next steps, we will adhere to a dual-driver approach of policy + activities, strengthen the linkage between "Exporting to China," "Purchasing in China," and "Investing in China," and enhance coordination with major exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo and the Consumer Goods Expo to better unleash the potential of China's large market and share development opportunities with the world. Thank you. [CCTV Finance reporter]: We noted that the President of Ecuador is visiting China this week. Can you introduce the current state of China-Ecuador economic and trade cooperation and what expectations do you have for the outcomes in the economic and trade fields during this visit? [He Yadong]: In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, political mutual trust between China and Ecuador has been increasingly consolidated, and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results. Since the China-Ecuador Free Trade Agreement came into effect over two years ago, bilateral trade has rapidly grown, reaching $9.83 billion in the first half of this year with a year-on-year growth rate exceeding 20%, making China Ecuador's second-largest trade partner. The two sides have also engaged in fruitful cooperation in the fields of infrastructure and energy resources. On August 18, witnessed by the leaders of both countries, the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries of Ecuador signed the "China-Ecuador Economic and Trade Cooperation Roadmap" and a memorandum of understanding on supporting free trade and multilateralism, confirming the intention to strengthen the economic and trade coordination mechanism and jointly promote cooperation in trade and investment, agriculture and food, e-commerce, sustainable development, and other fields; both sides will jointly carry out the implementation of the bilateral free trade agreement, refrain from implementing improper discriminatory economic and trade measures against each other, and agree to communicate and exchange information on trade measures related to third countries. China is willing to work with Ecuador to properly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, make good use of mechanisms such as the Economic and Trade Mixed Committee, promote the upgrading of China-Ecuador economic and trade cooperation, and further deepen and solidify the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Ecuador. Thank you. [Cover News reporter]: Recently, President Trump of the United States signed an announcement imposing tariffs ranging from 10% to 100% on imported drones and their components under the pretext of national security threats. What is the spokesperson's comment on this? [He Yadong]: We have noted the U.S. decision to impose 232 tariffs on drones and their components. China has consistently held the view that the U.S. 232 measures are unilateral and protective actions disguised under the guise of national security. In fact, Chinese exports of drones to the U.S. are primarily applied in civil scenarios such as agriculture, equipment inspection, and film and entertainment. The U.S. 232 measures have generalized the concept of national security, implementing differentiated tariff rates against trade partners and discriminating against Chinese-related products, seriously harming the interests of Chinese enterprises, disrupting the global cooperation order for drone production and supply chains, and further undermining the fair competitive market environment, to which China firmly opposes. We urge the U.S. to immediately revoke the 232-related tariff measures. Thank you. [Nanfang Metropolitan Daily reporter]: Recently, the U.S. White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy released a report titled "The Large-Scale Transshipment Scam: Rise, Scale, and Costs," claiming that China is utilizing third countries for transshipment to evade tariffs and other restrictions imposed by the U.S., impacting the U.S. economy. The report identified over 40 countries (regions) with transshipment risks. What is China's comment on this report? [He Yadong]: We have noted the relevant report from the U.S. This report distorts facts and reverses black and white, claiming that normal international trade and investment constitutes a "scam," fabricating a false narrative of a so-called shadow transshipment network, which is a typical manifestation of unilateralism and protectionism aimed at suppressing and blocking Chinese products. China is strongly dissatisfied with and resolutely opposes this. In fact, it is the U.S.'s high differentiation tariffs that pose a fundamental threat to the safety of global supply chains. The U.S. attributes domestic economic problems to external factors but fails to address its own deep-seated issues. China calls on the U.S. to immediately stop its irresponsible accusations, cease the impacts on China-U.S. economic and trade relations, and effectively maintain the security and stability of the global production and supply chain. I want to emphasize that China has consistently adhered to international economic and trade rules and will continue to conduct economic and trade cooperation with all parties on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, jointly building a "mutually beneficial trade network" that contributes positively to global development and prosperity. Thank you. [CGTN reporter]: On August 19, China once again issued a prohibition order regarding the EU's cross-border investigation of relevant Chinese entities under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). What is the comment from the Ministry of Commerce on this? [He Yadong]: China has consistently opposed the EU's abuse of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) and other unilateral tools to suppress Chinese enterprises. In May of this year, China issued a prohibition order for the first time in the Tongfang Weishi case. Recently, the EU has again unreasonably demanded a large volume of extensive information unrelated to the investigation from relevant banking institutions within China in the JD.com case. In this regard, relevant departments of the Chinese government, based on a comprehensive investigation, determined that the EU's cross-border investigation practices against relevant Chinese entities in the FSR investigation of JD.com constitute improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures under the Anti-Foreign Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Regulation of the People's Republic of China, and required that no organization or individual may implement or assist in implementing such measures. I want to emphasize that China and the EU have established a Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism (TIC) and have reached a consensus on managing differences through dialogue. We hope the EU will work towards mutual understanding with China, quickly correct the erroneous practices in the FSR investigation, and strengthen communication through intergovernmental dialogue. China will closely monitor the EU's actions and will take necessary measures to firmly safeguard national security and the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises. Thank you. This article is compiled from the "Ministry of Commerce" official website, edited by GMTEight: Feng Qiuyi.