China Protests EU Over Discriminative Legislation on Cigarette Lighters

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, April 04, 2002

China Protests EU Over Discriminative Legislation on Cigarette Lighters

China said Thursday that the European Union's proposed regulation on safety standards for cigarette lighters is unfair and against the World Trade Organization (WTO) principle of fair competition.

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China said Thursday that the European Union's proposed regulation on safety standards for cigarette lighters is unfair and against the World Trade Organization (WTO) principle of fair competition.

Gao Yan, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), said in a statement that the EU proposal, now under review before making it law, is unreasonable.

The draft proposal rules that a cigarette lighter costing less than two Euros should have a child-safe device installed, according to MOFTEC sources.

Gao said the draft proposal connects price with safety and that is ridiculous.

"It is very unreasonable and against the Agreement on Technical Barrier to Trade of the WTO, and is thus against the fair competition principle," She said. "Once it becomes law, China's export of cigarette lighters to the EU will be seriously affected. "

She said China hopes that the EU and its member governments will look fairly at China's objection and cancel the unreasonable proposal so that the China-EU trade can increase in a normal and healthy way.

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