The Ministry of Commerce Photo: VCG

A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Thursday reaffirmed the country's commitment to green development and slammed restrictive measures by "certain countries and regions" against Chinese new-energy vehicles, in response to reports in the Global Times of an expert calling for a temporary tariff rate hike on imported cars with large engines to cut emissions. 

"We have noticed the relevant reports. China is firmly committed to the path of green and low-carbon development, and it has always encouraged and supported the green and low-carbon transformation and upgrading of various industries to achieve high-quality development," He Yadong, a spokesperson for the MOFCOM, said at a press briefing in Beijing when asked about the report. 

In an exclusive interview with the Global Times published on Tuesday, a prominent expert in China's auto industry who has participated in drafting various industrial policies suggested that China consider raising the temporary tariff rate on cars with engines larger than 2.5 liters, as part of a broad effort to promote green development. 
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202405/1312719.shtml

As the move is widely expected to have a major impact on auto imports from the EU and the US, many Western media outlets have interpreted the suggested move as China's response to Washington's move to hike tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) and other new-energy products and the EU's so-called anti-subsidy probe into Chinese EVs, which could also lead to tariff hikes.

Asked whether the MOFCOM can confirm if such a suggested move is a retaliation against the moves by the EU and the US, the spokesperson did not offer a direct response. He said that experts in all industries, including the auto industry, are engaged in research on China's green development path and make recommendations for tackling global climate change. 

"What I want to emphasize is that some countries and regions are currently deviating from the concept of green development, violating the principles of the market economy and WTO rules, and introducing restrictive measures in the field of new-energy vehicles," He said.

Such moves will only harm the interests of their own consumers and undermine the global green transition and the world's capacity to tackle climate change, the spokesperson said.

Global Times