Car miniature, "Electric vechicles " words, EU and Chinese flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photoSINGAPORE, Oct 4 - China said on Wednesday that a demand by the European Union that it partipate in consultations within a "very short" period of time about a probe into electric vehicle subsidies is a severe infringment of China's rights.
The Chinese side had not been given adequate consultation materials, the Chinese Commerce ministry said in a statement. The European Commission has said it will investigate whether to impose tariffs to shield European producers from a "flood" of cheaper Chinese electric vehicle imports it says benefit from state subsidies.
China is "very much dissatisfied" with the anti-subsidy investigation, which was formally launched on Wednesday, as it lacks adequate evidence and does not conform with World Trade Organization rules, the ministry said. China will pay close attention to the commission's investigative procedures and will safeguard the rights and interests of Chinese firms, it added.Saudi Arabia on Wednesday said it would continue with its voluntary oil output cut of one million barrels per day for the month of November and until the end of the year.