BEIJING, July 1 (Reuters) - Beijing hit out at the European Union on Thursday for launching a probe into a complaint that China is dumping wireless modems in EU markets.
"The case involves a huge amount of money. The Chinese public and industry are strongly dissatisfied, and the Chinese side are very concerned," the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its website, www.mofcom.gov.cn.
The products under investigation are known as wireless wide area networking (WWAN) modems. They have a radio antenna and provide Internet Protocol (IP) data connectivity for computers.
The European Commission, in charge of trade policy for the 27-nation bloc, said on Wednesday that it had received the complaint from Belgium's Option, the sole maker of the wireless Internet devices in Europe.
The EU is China's largest trading partner, and MofCom said China always advocates the resolution of trade disputes through dialogue and cooperation rather than protectionism.
China will pay close attention to developments and reserves the right to take further steps in accordance with World Trade Organisation rules, the ministry said.
The EU has up to 15 months to carry out its investigation. If the Commission finds that the products are being dumped at unfair prices, it can impose additional tariffs. (Reporting by Langi Chiang and Alan Wheatley; Editing by Alex Richardson)