China's Retaliation Grows Fiercer, Target Not America

China has reacted strongly to the latest cybersecurity regulations from the European government. The Xi Jinping administration has threatened retaliation if the regulations discriminate against Chinese companies.

The South China Morning Post reported that the warning was expressed in a 30-page document submitted by China’s Ministry of Commerce to the European Commission on 17 April 2026. A week later, MOFCOM spokesperson He Yongqian confirmed the submission of the document.

In the document, Beijing is prepared to restrict trade, investigate foreign entities, and impose reciprocal bans on European companies if harm befalls Chinese firms.

These threats fall under the Foreign Trade Law and the Council’s Supply Chain Security Regulation.

China objects to the use of non-technical risk factors in the EU regulations. The Beijing government stated that these factors are subjective political tools designed to exclude Chinese companies, as quoted from The Next Web on Thursday (30/4/2026).

The Next Web report stated that there is no mention of Chinese giants such as Huawei or ZTE in the draft regulations.

EU Technology Commissioner Henna Virkkunen explained that the regulations aim to better protect critical supply chains on the continent.

The new law requires member states to cease using equipment from vendors deemed high-risk suppliers in communication networks. The list has a three-year timeframe from when the regulations take effect.

The European Commission can also create mechanisms to designate entire countries as cybersecurity threats. This could expand exclusions to 18 sectors such as energy, transportation, and information technology.