China has filed an appeal with the World Trade Organization against provisional European Union tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
The Chinese Commerce Ministry made the announcement on Friday.
The EU introduced provisional duties of up to 37.6 percent on Chinese EVs last month. That is in addition to a 10-percent levy.
Officials in the bloc said the vehicles benefit from unfair government subsidies and could harm European makers.
The Chinese ministry says the decision “lacks factual and legal basis, seriously violates WTO rules, and undermines” international cooperation on climate change.
The ministry also urges the bloc to “rectify its erroneous actions promptly, in order to jointly uphold the stability of China-EU economic and trade cooperation” and the EV industry supply chain.
The provisional tariffs are effective for up to four months, but could continue for extra five years if approved in a vote by EU member states.
Beijing tries to gain support from leaders of EU countries when it hosts them, by stressing the importance of the supply chain’s stability, and by touting the strengthened economic cooperation.