Sawt Falasteen - EU climate chief says 'no official decision' on China wind subsidies probe

The EU this month launched an enquiry into China's suspected unfair use of subsidies to support the country's electric-car manufacturers -- a move that has been strongly criticised by Beijing.

The bloc is reportedly also considering a similar but separate probe into Chinese producers of wind turbine components, following complaints that state subsidies allow them to offer cheap imports which undercut European competitors.

But European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson told a press briefing on Thursday that she had informed Chinese officials "there is no official decision that we should open any investigation in the wind sector right now".

"From the EU perspective, we will keep our market open. We do believe that just and fair competition will benefit all our consumers and will bring us the most efficient solutions," Simson said.

"If there are cases of unfair competition or providing subsidies or dumping, then we will have to launch an investigation. But all the decisions will be made based on facts," she added.

Simson said she had held talks with Zhang Jianhua, chairman of China's National Energy Administration, as part of a three-day trip to Beijing that ends on Friday.

She is part of a flurry of visits to the country by EU officials, with the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell arriving in Shanghai on Thursday for an expected three-day trip.

Borrell is likely to discuss the EU's "de-risking" strategy with China -- its largest trade partner -- and prepare the ground for a planned summit this year.

B.Mahmoud--SF-PST