China Dismisses U.S. Investigation of Its Green Tech Trade Policies as Midterm Politicking

China this weekend directly challenged the United States for questioning its green technology trade rules. Following the Obama administration’s announcement last week that it would investigate the country’s clean energy trade practices, the Chinese government said Sunday that American politicians were simply using the issue to score points ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

At a news conference on Sunday, Zhang Guobao, a Chinese official, said:

I have been thinking: What do the Americans want? Do they want fair trade? Or an earnest dialogue? Or transparent information? I don’t think they want any of this. I think more likely, the Americans just want votes.

Guobao also dismissed a 5,000-page-plus petition by the United Steelworkers laying out the trade concerns with China, arguing that the United States cannot win a trade case on the issue at the World Trade Organization. The Steelworkers’ petition alleges that China is breaking WTO rules by offering manufacturers in the country unfair advantages.

As I’ve reported, China’s efforts to become a world clean energy leader have become a significant political issue for both Democrats and Republicans. In fact, it’s one of the few issues that both parties have rallied around. The investigation into China’s trade practices will be closely watched in the coming months — it’s shaping up to be a major fight.