Chinese Commerce Ministry refutes Western ‘groundless’ accusation of ‘overcapacity’

Published: April 27,2024

A view of the new energy vehicles for export at the port of Lianyungang Port in Lianyungang City, east China’s Jiangsu Province, April 25, 2024. /CFP

Some Western countries have been accusing China of “overcapacity,” which is groundless, and China firmly rejects it, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The capacity issue should be assessed in the context of economic globalization, global division of labor and market dynamics in an objective, fair and scientific manner, said He Yadong during a regular press conference.

As for new energy, He said it is not overcapacity; instead, it’s a shortage of capacity from a global perspective.

The development of green, low-carbon and environmentally friendly new energy nowadays is an important measure adopted by countries worldwide to tackle climate change, he said, adding that the demand for new energy products is growing and the potential for new energy products’ future development is huge.

China’s new energy industry has provided affordable and high-quality production capacity all along, making important contributions to global green development, the spokesperson said.

Noting that some Western countries and regions stress green development while using “overcapacity” as a pretext of protectionism, the spokesperson said that’s a typical self-contradiction and double standard.

He added that such a double standard not only blocks the global green transformation and shakes the confidence of international cooperation on climate change but also frustrates the enterprises’ determination to carry out foreign trade and investment cooperation.

“We hope that relevant countries will view the demand of the global new energy market and the development of China’s new energy industry in an objective, rational and comprehensive manner and fairly evaluate the important role of China’s new energy products in global green transformation,” He said.

On the basis of adhering to market principles, China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with other countries, promote industrial cooperation, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results and jointly promote global green development, the spokesperson said.

cgtn.com