China's Commerce Ministry Rebukes EU 'Europe First' Procurement Draft

China's Commerce Ministry said it is highly concerned about the European Commission's draft Public Procurement Act, which includes a "Europe first" clause and would add security and other non-market factors to bid evaluations, potentially excluding or restricting third-country companies, according to Jiemian News. Spokesperson He Yadong urged the EU to comply with WTO rules, keep markets open, and remove discriminatory provisions to create a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for companies investing and operating in Europe. The European Commission announced the procurement reform proposal on September 9, saying public authorities across Europe would be encouraged to buy more European goods and services when spending public funds. Jiemian News also cited Guosen Securities as saying the policy would have limited impact on domestic leading companies, while Fudan University scholar Jian Junbo called it a protectionist measure that violates WTO principles. The report noted that the EU had already published its Industrial Accelerator Act on March 4, and that the share of manufacturing in EU GDP fell from 17.4% in 2000 to 14.3% in 2024; the draft aims to lift that share to at least 20% by 2035.