EU floats conditions such as tech transfers for China investments

HORSENS, Denmark: The European Union is looking into setting pre-conditions for Chinese companies investing in Europe, including transfers of technology and know-how, the EU trade chief and Denmark's foreign minister said on Tuesday (Oct 14).

EU ministers discussed the bloc's economic security during a meeting hosted by Denmark, now holding the rotating presidency, ahead of a comprehensive paper the European Commission is set to present on the topic by the end of the year.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen told a news conference that many in Europe thought that, by playing by the rules, they could emerge as winners. He said the EU should take some inspiration from the US and China in setting conditions.

"If we invite Chinese investments to Europe, it must come with the precondition that we also have some kind of technology transfer," he said. "I don't think we have completed that discussion, but we find ourselves in new circumstances."

The EU says China has benefited from large-scale technology transfers from European businesses set up there, such as transfers made as a condition of market access or via rules that mandate joint ventures with Chinese companies.

On Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China opposed forced technology transfer and "protectionist and discriminatory practices in the name of enhancing competitiveness".

European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said the EU welcomed foreign investment, but these needed to be "real investments".

This meant they created new jobs in the bloc and involved transfers of technology and intellectual property rights "as European companies have been doing when they've been investing in China".

Many EU ministers had brought these issues up, Sefcovic said, and it was now up to the Commission to translate this into concrete principles and proposals.