Ministry Minutes | European Union cybersecurity rules threaten competitiveness, investment: foreign ministry

China on Wednesday said protectionism could not deliver competitiveness, warning that European Union cybersecurity rules targeting telecom equipment would undermine digital transformation, damage market openness and weaken global investor confidence in Europe.

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun was responding to reports that European telecom lobbying group Connect Europe released an open letter on September 15 stating that the European Commission's amendment to the Cybersecurity Act would force European telecom companies to spend an additional 40 billion euros on equipment replacement, draining funds that could otherwise go toward optic fiber, 5G and 6G network construction.

The letter was co-signed by the heads of 17 European telecom companies.

Previous assessments by relevant institutions have estimated the EU's potential losses at more than 360 billion euros over the next five years, Guo said at a routine press briefing in Beijing.

The letter showed the EU approach would "harm others without benefiting itself," he said.

"Protectionism cannot buy competitiveness," he said, "and will only cause the European Union to miss opportunities for digital transformation, damage Europe's economic and social development and its image of an open market and undermine confidence among companies worldwide in investing in Europe."

China hoped the European Union would heed the rational voices from across European society and avoid discriminatory restrictive measures, the ministry spokesperson said.

(Compiled by intern Wang Shuyi)