China's Commerce Ministry said on Monday it would take “appropriate countermeasures” if the European Union goes ahead with its new cybersecurity law, introduced in January, which Beijing says discriminates against Chinese companies.
A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce stated, in statements published on the institution's website, that the European Union's draft law, under the pretext of cyber security and supply chain security, introduces “extremely subjective and arbitrary” factors, EFE and Agerpres write.
Among them, the Chinese official mentioned the identification of “countries of cybersecurity concern” and “high-risk suppliers” that would be excluded from relevant EU supply chains in 18 sectors, including energy, transport and information and communication technologies (ICT).
“This is a typical example of the politicization and excessive securitization of trade and economic issues,” he argued.
“Could seriously affect global supply chains”
At the same time, he pointed out problems of the project, such as the violation of the principle of the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding the treatment of the most favored nation and the national treatment.
The Asian giant also said the law oversteps the remit of EU law and erodes the authority of states to manage national security issues, and believed it could cause substantial damage to economic and trade relations between China and the EU or seriously affect global supply chains.
China has suggested removing from the draft provisions on concepts such as “countries of cyber security concern,” as well as removing or substantially changing the criteria for identifying “high-risk suppliers” and related restrictive measures.
The Chinese spokesman expressed confidence that the EU will not underestimate its “firm determination” to protect its national interests and the legitimate rights of its companies, and will not allow a setback in bilateral economic and trade relations.
The new EU law on cyber security
Brussels introduced a new cybersecurity law in January that creates a common framework for assessing risks in the European Union's critical infrastructures, without specifically naming specific countries or companies.
The regulation tightens control over strategic sectors such as 5G and 6G networks, cloud computing or semiconductors, and paves the way for restricting or excluding providers deemed “high risk”.
Although the text does not mention names, since 2019 the European Commission has reiterated its reservations regarding the participation of Chinese companies such as Huawei or ZTE in the implementation of telecommunications networks in the EU.
