The European Union flags in front of EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: VCG

　　The EU is drawing up plans to force European companies to buy critical components from at least three different suppliers, in a bid to reduce the bloc"s reliance on China, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Monday. Chinese experts slammed the EU"s "diversified procurement" push as a discriminatory policy disguised under the banner of supply-chain diversification, warning that the bloc"s repeated politicization of trade and economic ties would ultimately undermine Europe"s long-term economic development and global competitiveness.

　　According to the FT, the new rules would affect businesses in a handful of key sectors such as chemicals and industrial machinery, which have complained about a surge in cheap Chinese imports, according to two EU officials familiar with the matter.

　　Meanwhile, the new law would set ceilings, expected to be about 30 to 40 percent, for what can be bought from a single supplier. The rest of the components would need to be sourced from at least three different suppliers, not all from the same country, read the report.

　　EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is even reportedly seeking to launch a blitz of punitive tariffs on Chinese chemicals and machinery to curb a sharp surge in imports that officials said has left European manufacturers reeling, according to FT. Šefčovič has also sought to address the bloc"s massive trade deficit with China, while describing China"s actions as the "weaponization of trade."