Beijing slams EU’s ‘naked protectionism’ over Chinese gear phase-out – media

The European Commission is reportedly set to unveil measures targeting “high risk” vendors in critical telecoms and solar systems

Beijing has condemned the European Union’s reported plans to phase out Chinese made equipment from the bloc’s critical infrastructure, describing the idea as “naked protectionism,” according to Reuters.

China’s Foreign Ministry was commenting on a Financial Times report that said Brussels is preparing measures to remove Chinese made gear from key sectors, such as telecommunications networks, solar energy systems, and security scanners. The proposal is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday as part of an overhaul of the EU’s security and technology policy.

The ministry said that restricting Chinese firms “without legal basis” would amount to “naked protectionism” and urged the EU to provide a “fair, transparent and non-discriminatory” business environment for them. Beijing warned that turning trade and economic issues into matters of security and politics would “hinder technological progress and economic growth and [be] to no one’s good.” 

According to FT, the European Commission’s cybersecurity proposal would make an existing voluntary regime to restrict or exclude “high risk” vendors mandatory for EU member states. Companies such as Huawei and ZTE could be barred from supplying equipment for telecoms networks, solar infrastructure, and other sensitive systems, the paper wrote over the weekend. Some telecom operators have warned that excluding major vendors could raise costs for consumers.

The reported plan comes amid escalating trade tensions between China and the EU, which have long clashed over what the bloc calls China’s industrial overproduction, while Beijing has answered with accusations of protectionism.

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EU officials have repeatedly argued that Chinese suppliers may pose security risks and could be used to collect sensitive data, and the planned rules are part of the bloc’s so-called ‘de-risking’ strategy. Brussels has already launched probes into Chinese participation in European industries including rail and wind power, and in 2024 raided the EU offices of security equipment manufacturer Nuctech. Beijing has denied the accusations.