MedTech

EU is set to launch China probe on medical device procurement

The probe arrives on the back of scepticism about Beijing’s use of massive state support to critical sectors

The push by Beijing for domestic hospitals to use more local equipment can be traced back to a 2015 state council decision. Picture: Getty

The European Union is set to launch an investigation into China’s procurement of medical devices as it seeks to address concerns that Beijing’s policies are unfairly favouring domestic suppliers.

The probe may be announced as early as mid-April and could result in the bloc curtailing Chinese access to its tenders, according to people familiar with the matter.

It would constitute a first outing for the EU’s so-called International Procurement Instrument, or IPI, a 2022 law ...