China has again warned the EU not to negotiate separately with electric car companies

As China and the European Union continue to negotiate a tax on electric vehicles, China's commerce Ministry has again warned the EU that negotiating with companies separately will shake mutual trust.

A spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce said on its website Monday that if the EU negotiates with China and negotiates with some companies separately on price commitments, it will shake mutual trust, interfere with the overall negotiation process, and add more administrative costs to the follow-up implementation and supervision of price commitments agreements.

The spokesperson also revealed that the two sides have now started the next stage of negotiations.

China's commerce Ministry issued a similar warning on Oct. 12, saying that separate talks "will shake the foundation of negotiations and mutual trust."

China Central Television's new media "Yuyuan Tan Tian" published on Wednesday (23) that the EU tried to bypass the Chinese negotiator, the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Mechanical and Electrical Products, to negotiate price commitments with Chinese car companies alone at the critical juncture of the negotiations. The article said that the EU's move is to divide Chinese enterprises to destroy unity, and seize greater interests by breaking down each other.

The European Commission said in a statement that under World Trade Organization rules, companies involved in the investigation of electric vehicles can make price commitments, so discussions with individual exporters are not excluded.

"Yuyuan Tan Tian" said on Sunday (27) that before the final day of tariffs (October 30), China and the EU have conducted eight rounds of consultations, and there are still major differences. An EU technical team is likely to visit China for the first time to continue negotiations.