China warned of countermeasures against discriminatory EU restrictions on Chinese companies or products.
Why it matters: The dispute could affect Chinese companies' access to EU public contracts and add pressure to China-EU trade and investment consultations. Beijing has not specified any countermeasures.
- China's Commerce Ministry issued the warning in a September 29, 2026 statement.
- The European Commission proposed a Public Procurement Act on September 9, 2026.
- The proposal concerns public contracts and concessions and could affect companies from countries without an EU free-trade agreement or GPA participation.
- China said discriminatory measures could disrupt bilateral trade, investment consultations and global supply chains.
In its September 29 statement, China's Commerce Ministry said Beijing would respond firmly if the European Union imposed discriminatory restrictions on Chinese companies or products. The ministry said such measures could undermine trust, disrupt China-EU trade and global industrial and supply-chain stability, and interfere with bilateral trade and investment consultations.
The statement followed the European Commission's September 9 proposal for a Public Procurement Act. The proposal covers public contracts and concessions. China's response said provisions could affect companies from countries that lack an EU free-trade agreement or do not participate in the World Trade Organization's Government Procurement Agreement, or GPA.
The GPA governs participating economies' access to certain government-procurement markets. That means the proposed framework could affect whether Chinese companies compete for some EU public contracts, depending on the final rules and the companies' eligibility.
In an earlier response published in the Commerce Ministry's press-conference section, China criticized the proposed framework. That response predates the September 29 statement; the materials do not provide its exact date.
China has not identified specific countermeasures. In its September 29 statement, it said only that Beijing would protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese industry.
By the numbers
- September 29, 2026 - Date of China's Commerce Ministry statement
- September 9, 2026 - Date of the European Commission's Public Procurement Act proposal
- 2 - China Commerce Ministry materials cited in the dispute
Yes, but: The proposal's final provisions and any Chinese response remain unsettled. The materials do not identify specific countermeasures or procurement sectors beyond public contracts and concessions.
What's next: The European Commission's proposal will need to advance through the EU legislative process. China has not announced specific retaliatory measures.