The probe may be announced as early as mid-April and could result in the bloc curtailing Chinese access to its tenders, according to people familiar with the matter. It would constitute a first outing for the EU’s so-called International Procurement Instrument, or IPI, a 2022 law that’s meant to promote reciprocity in access to public procurement markets.
The initial aim of the probe, which will collect information from companies and member states, is to enter into a dialog with Beijing to ensure that markets are fair and open on both sides, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The move risks raising the stakes in EU-China relations, after the bloc last year launched an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles made in China that could see new tariffs introduced by July. The probe arrives on the back of skepticism about Beijing’s use of massive public support to critical sectors and a broader European economic security strategy that seeks to toughen the bloc’s export controls and investment screenings.
The push by Beijing for domestic hospitals to use more local equipment can be traced back to a 2015 state council decision.
