Hit by the imposition of a 38.1 per cent tariff by the European Union on imported Chinese electric cars, Beijing has urged the EU to reconsider the decision.

“In light of their economic structure and sheer size, China and the EU are best served by teaming up on major economic and trade issues,” Xinhua, China’s state-controlled media platform, said in a commentary. “It would be more cost-effective for the EU to draw on China's advantages in order to develop its own EV industry.”

Calling the high import duty as a step in the “wrong direction,” China said it would take measures to safeguard its interests.

The EU’s decision came less than a month after the US revealed plans to quadruple duties on Chinese EVs to 100 per cent.

German carmakers, which are heavily dependent on sales in China, fear retaliation from Beijing.

European commission president Ursula von der Leyen has repeatedly said Europe needs to act to prevent China from flooding the bloc's market with subsidized EVs.