Beijing has threatened to launch trade probes against the European Union if the 27-member bloc pushes ahead with a proposal to curb imports of heavily subsidized foreign products.
Chinese authorities could initiate anti-discrimination and supply-chain security investigations into the EU's "overcapacity instrument," a social media account run by China's state broadcaster said Friday.
The turned-up rhetoric comes as European officials are scheduled to hold closely watched talks on Friday to discuss ramping up the bloc's trade defenses--a move widely seen as aimed at shielding critical industries from Chinese rivals.
European leaders hold the view that China's global industrial dominance is a result of decades of government subsidies and non-reciprocal market access.
Analysts say the safeguards floated to shield European manufacturers from state-subsidized goods could effectively serve as a sweeping new trade-defense mechanism against China, though the proposal is still under debate among the EU's member states.
