China urges EU to ensure fair, non-discriminatory environment for Chinese telecom firms

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Tuesday urged the European Union to provide a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises, saying that forcibly removing Chinese telecom equipment "harms others without benefiting oneself".

Lin made the remarks at a regular news briefing in Beijing when asked about reports that the EU is pushing forward with legislation that would mandate member states to remove equipment from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE from their wireless and core communication networks.

Lin said that Chinese enterprises have long operated in Europe in accordance with local laws and regulations, providing high-quality products and services to residents, while making positive contributions to local socioeconomic development and employment.

"In the absence of legal grounds or factual evidence, using administrative means to forcibly restrict or even prohibit companies from engaging in the market seriously violates market principles and fair competition rules," Lin said.

He added that facts have proven that the moves by some countries to forcibly remove high-quality and secure equipment from Chinese telecom companies have delayed their own technological progress and caused huge economic losses.

"Politicizing trade and economic issues and turning them into security issues will only hinder technological progress and economic development, harming others without benefiting oneself," Lin said, urging the EU to avoid undermining the confidence of Chinese enterprises investing in Europe.