China Association of Automobile Manufacturers: Willing to continue serving as a bridge and bond, supporting China and Europe in moving toward each other under the trade and investment consultation mechanism.

On October 14, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers issued a statement on the consensus reached in China-EU consultations on hybrid and electric vehicles: Recently, adhering to the principles of mutual respect and equal consultation, China and the EU conducted intensive consultations on trade issues concerning hybrid and electric vehicles under the trade and investment consultation mechanism and reached a consensus. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers pays close attention to this and expresses welcome and support for the positive results of the consultations. At present, global trade protectionism is on the rise, and uncertainty in the international economic and trade environment has increased markedly. The automotive industry has a high degree of globalization, long industrial and supply chains, and close cross-border collaboration, and faces multiple challenges such as policy barriers and supply chain restructuring. If trade frictions are allowed to escalate, it will not only drive up corporate costs and disrupt normal market order, but also harm consumer interests and affect the transformation and upgrading of the automotive industry. As important global economies and automotive markets, China and the EU have strong industrial complementarity and broad space for cooperation. The two sides' insistence on managing differences and properly handling frictions through institutionalized consultations, replacing confrontation with dialogue and resolving disputes through cooperation, is a rational choice that serves their fundamental interests. Under the framework of World Trade Organization multilateral rules, China and the EU this time explicitly upheld the three principles of being fact-based, non-discriminatory, and compliant, and reached a consensus on trade issues concerning hybrid and electric vehicles. This consensus helps stabilize industrial expectations on both sides, maintain the stable and smooth operation of the automotive industrial and supply chains, and create a more predictable environment for automakers to carry out trade and investment cooperation; it also helps safeguard the common interests of industries and consumers on both sides and avoid the escalation of trade frictions. Relying on the WTO platform, China and the EU have adhered to handling trade frictions through dialogue and consultation, setting an example for the international community in properly handling differences. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers is willing to continue to play its role as a bridge, promote strengthened communication and coordination in the industry, support China and the EU in moving toward each other under the trade and investment consultation mechanism, implement the consensus, properly handle differences, jointly safeguard a fair, open, and non-discriminatory international trade environment, and inject positive energy into the green and low-carbon transformation and sustainable development of the global automotive industry.