BEIJING, June 12 Reuters China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its lawful rights and interests after a newspaper reported that the European Commission would impose tariffs of up to 25 on imported Chinese electric vehicles EVs, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

After an eightmonth long investigation, the Commission, which oversees trade policy for the 27nation European Union, is expected to notify carmakers on Wednesday that it will provisionally apply additional duties of up to 25 on imported Chinese EVs from next month.

Growing alarm over Chinese industrial overcapacity flooding the EU with cheap products, including EVs, is opening a new front in the West39;s trade war with Beijing, which began with Washington39;s import tariffs in 2018.

EU trade policy is turning increasingly protective against the global ramifications of China39;s productionfocussed, debtdriven debt model.

This antisubsidy investigation is a typical case of protectionism, Lin Jian, a foreign ministry spokesperson, told a regular press conference.

We urge the EU to abide by its commitment to support free trade and oppose protectionism, and work with China to safeguard the overall situation of ChinaEU economic and trade cooperation.

China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, he said.

The 25 tariff was first reported by the Financial Times newspaper, which cited people familiar with the matter.

On Tuesday, the China…