EU Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra stated to Euronews that Europe needs to rapidly roll out solar, wind, battery and other clean technologies in order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. However, he pointed out that dependence on China for clean-energy technologies could make this path more costly.
He stressed that dependence on China should have been reassessed five or ten years ago, noting that, nevertheless, “it will be much cheaper and much more to our advantage to do it now than to be wishy-washy and wait another five to ten years.” He also emphasised that a longer wait would lead to greater disruption and costs.
“This will stay with us for years to come, because the dependencies in many domains have simply become too large,” he acknowledged, adding that being overly reliant on Chinese manufacturers of electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels and energy storage systems is similar to being reliant on Russia.
The statement came in the context of China’s dominance of the EU’s battery system supply chains. Experts at Wood Mackenzie note that Chinese companies account for over 80% of the household battery segment and 88% of lithium-ion battery imports. Economic relations between the EU and China also continue to face significant headwinds, since the EU’s trade deficit reached a record high of €1 billion per day in 2025.
The EU’s solar energy sector has become a cautionary example of how domestic producers are being driven out of business by subsidised imports from China, the Commissioner said. He also warned of the risks posed by Chinese interference and direct threats to the security of Europe’s critical infrastructure. “Kill switches are being included in windmills. Espionage happens at a very high degree on European soil,” Hoekstra said: “Intellectual property theft in our most advanced companies happens on a weekly basis and on and on and on.”
He also called on European countries to build up their own capacity, as high costs in the short term are more acceptable than a more costly transition in a few years’ time.
Trade relations between the two sides are expected to take a step forward in October, when EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is due to visit China. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted on 27 August: “Dialogue with China remains necessary. But it must produce results. And when dialogue is not enough, we must be ready to make full use of our instruments.”
