On August 26, the Canadian government, in disregard of China’s repeated objections and démarches, insisted on imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition.

This move is typical trade protectionism and politically-motivated decision, which violates the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and goes against Canada’s traditional image as a global champion for free trade and climate change mitigation. It will damage trade and economic cooperation between China and Canada, hurt the interests of Canadian consumers and enterprises, slow down the green transition process of Canada and certainly won’t help global efforts to address climate change, which benefits no one and will only backfire.

I would like to emphasize that the rapid development of China’s Electric Vehicle (EV) industry is a result of persistent technological innovation, well-established industrial and supply chains, and full market competition. Its competitiveness is gained through utilizing its comparative advantages and following market principles, rather than relying on government subsidies. The Canadian side’s accusation of China’s so-called “overcapacity” is groundless. The development of China’s EV industry has made positive contributions to the world’s efforts to address climate change and realize green energy transformation.

China urges the Canadian side to respect facts, abide by the WTO rules, immediately correct its wrong practices, and stop politicizing economic and trade issues. China will take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises.