China voices serious concern over EU’s procurement draft

China has expressed serious concern over the European Commission’s proposed Public Procurement Act, urging Brussels to keep the bloc’s market open and revise discriminatory provisions, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

Released on Sept 9, the draft introduces “European preference” provisions and brings security and other non-market factors into bid evaluation. It would allow public buyers to exclude or restrict participation by third-country companies that fail to meet the requirements.

Speaking at a weekly news conference in Beijing, He Yadong, a spokesman for the ministry, noted that the procurement bill follows two other legislative proposals put forward by the EU this year — proposed revisions to the Cybersecurity Act and the Industrial Accelerator Act.

“The EU is pursuing protectionism in the name of cybersecurity and industrial development,” He said, citing the bloc’s repeated introduction of discriminatory provisions and continued tightening of market access conditions.

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He urged Brussels to abide by WTO rules and amend the discriminatory provisions in the procurement bill, calling for a fair, transparent and nondiscriminatory business environment for companies investing and operating in Europe.

China will closely follow the bloc’s legislative process and assess the potential impact in a timely manner, he added.