China and the European Union (EU) engaged in a “comprehensive, in-depth, and constructive” consultation here on Thursday regarding the EU’s ongoing anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), according to a statement released by China’s Ministry of Commerce.

During the meeting between the Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and the European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, both sides expressed clearly their political will to resolve differences through consultations, said the statement.

The two sides agreed to continue pushing forward negotiations on the price commitments, and spare no effort to reach a mutually acceptable solution through friendly dialogue and consultation, it added.

The European Commission initiated the anti-subsidy investigation without a formal complaint from the industries within the EU, and the rulings were “non-compliant, unreasonable, and unfair,” said the ministry.

Although the Chinese side cannot agree with or accept this, it consistently maintained the utmost sincerity and made efforts to resolve the issue properly through dialogue and consultation, said the ministry.

It stressed that the Chinese industry proposed a price commitment solution during the investigation and further improved it based on the concerns of the EU, which fully demonstrated the utmost flexibility and sincerity from the Chinese side.

China urges the EU to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of China, France, and the EU on properly addressing economic and trade frictions through dialogue and consultation, and to take proactive actions to meet China halfway, according to the statement.

It cautioned that China will resolutely take necessary measures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises, if the EU insists on implementing unreasonable tariffs.

China underscored that it has always exercised prudence and restraints in using trade remedy measures and upheld fair and free trade, said the statement.

China’s trade remedy investigations against the EU were launched at the request of domestic industries, in full compliance with Chinese law and World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations. These investigations were conducted rigorously, adhering to legal standards with transparency and openness, the statement added.

“China has the responsibility to safeguard the justified demands and legitimate rights of its domestic industries,” the statement said.

The two sides also exchanged views on other trade and economic issues, said the statement.