China warns EU not to conduct separate negotiations with individual Chinese EV makers

China on Monday again warned the EU not to conduct separate negotiations over the price of Chinese electric vehicles (EV) sold in the EU market, and said it would undermine the mutual trust and disturb the negotiation process, urging the EU to adhere to the existing framework, and accelerate talks to achieve substantive progress at an early date.

Separate negotiations risk undermining mutual trust between China and EU, and it will disrupt the negotiation process if the EU conducts separate negotiations with individual Chinese EV makers over EV prices sold in the EU, a spokesperson with China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Monday.

Moreover, it will increase administrative costs in later enforcement of price commitments and regulatory supervision, the MOFCOM spokesperson noted.

The EU side noted that, in accordance with WTO rules, the possibility to offer price undertakings is open to different companies involved in its investigation and therefore the European Commission (EC)'s negotiations with the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) do not exclude discussions with individual exporters, read a statement seen on the EC website on Friday.

During a talk held via video link on Friday between China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, China stressed that the CCCME has been fully authorized by Chinese companies to represent the collective stance and offer a price, according to a statement seen on the website of the MOFCOM.

"On this basis, China and the EU have conducted rounds of negotiations with strenuous efforts, and have made some progress," the MOFCOM spokesperson said.

China and the EU have launched the next phase of negotiations. China hopes that the two sides will adhere to the existing framework and accelerate the negotiation so as to make substantial progress at an early date, the spokesperson said.