Chinese commerce minister meets chairman of BMW AG

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG, in Beijing on Saturday, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on topics including the German carmaker's cooperation with China and the European Union (EU)'s anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).

Wang pointed out that the unilateral and protectionist actions of certain countries have brought significant uncertainty to the global economy. He emphasized that China hopes to work with the European side to become a pillar of the multilateral trading system, injecting certainty and stability into the world.

The Chinese market remains committed to opening-up, and China's policies are consistent, Wang said, noting that the Chinese government will advance high-level opening-up and optimize the business environment.

Wang said that properly resolving the EU's anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs is of significant importance, as it will send a clear and positive signal to the world.

China is committed to resolving differences through dialogue, he said, expressing hope that the German carmaker would continue to play an active role in promoting the European side to demonstrate political will and work with China to find mutually acceptable solutions at an early date.

Zipse emphasized that Europe's green transformation cannot be achieved without cooperation with China. The company remains optimistic about China's economic prospects and is confident in its development in the market, he said.

The company is committed to expanding its investment in China and accelerating the localization of production as well as research and development, Zipse added.

He also noted that there are only losers and no winners in a tariff war. The company firmly opposes the EU imposing additional tariffs on Chinese EVs and hopes that both the EU and China can properly resolve their differences, he said.