China has sharply criticized the planned EU investigation into subsidies for its wind energy companies. Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning accused the EU Commission of discrimination. Countries outside the EU are concerned about the EU’s “increasing tendency towards protectionism against Chinese companies and entire industries”. The EU should comply with the rules of the World Trade Organization.
EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager had announced that it would examine subsidies to Chinese turbine manufacturers for wind farms in Europe. She referred to wind farms in Spain, Greece, France, Romania and Bulgaria. She did not name the companies.
60 percent come from China
Last year, 60 percent of global wind turbine production came from China, 19 percent from Europe, nine percent from the USA, and the rest from other regions. Last year, turbines and components worth around 1.3 billion euros were exported from China to the European Union. According to the research service BloombergNEF, prices for Chinese turbines are a fifth lower than those in the USA and Europe.
According to a study by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, more than 99 percent of listed companies in China received direct government subsidies in 2022.
