Brussels has opened a new front in its trade wranglings with China with an investigation of alleged illegal subsidies for electric bicycle imports.

布鲁塞尔在与中国的贸易纠纷中开辟了一条新的战线，对中国电动自行车出口商据称获得非法补贴展开调查。

The European Commission said this week it would examine whether Chinese e-bike manufacturers are being given state financial support, which is prohibited by global trade rules and could lead to the imposition of tariffs.

欧盟委员会(European Commission)本周表示，将研究中国电动自行车生产商是否获得国家财政支持——这是全球贸易规则所禁止的，可能导致被征收关税。

A separate EU probe is looking into whether e-bikes from China are being dumped at low prices.

另外，欧盟还在调查中国的电动自行车是否以低价倾销。

The market for e-bikes is growing. Typically, they have an auxiliary electric motor that helps push the bike along at certain points, and are marketed at urban commuters as a healthier alternative to cars or public transport.

电动自行车市场正在增长。一般而言，它们有一个帮助推进自行车的辅助电动马达，并被宣传为城市上班族替代汽车或公共交通的更健康选择。

But European e-bike companies say unfair competition in the form of cheap imports from China is damaging the industry, putting some manufacturers out of business and causing job losses.

但欧洲电动自行车企业表示，中国廉价电动自行车进口的不公平竞争正在破坏这个行业，导致一些制造商破产和工人失业。

“Unless we stop China dumping e-bikes they will soon control the majority of the EU market, destroying our investments, innovation and competitiveness, as well as substantial employment and the protection of the environment,” said Moreno Fioravanti, Secretary General of the European Bicycle Manufacturers Association.

欧洲自行车制造商协会(European Bicycle Manufacturers Association)秘书长莫雷诺•菲奥拉万蒂(Moreno Fioravanti)表示：“除非我们阻止中国倾销电动自行车，否则它们很快就会控制大部分欧盟市场，破坏我们的投资、创新和竞争力，以及大量的就业和环境?；?。”

Imports account for €458m of the EU’s €1.85bn e-bike market, €264m of this from China.

在欧盟18.5亿欧元的电动自行车市场中，进口占到4.58亿欧元，其中来自中国的进口为2.64亿欧元。

Mr Fioravanti blamed Chinese dumping and subsidies for the woes of German bicycle and e-bike maker, Mifa, which this year filed for insolvency.

菲奥拉万蒂将今年申请破产的德国自行车和电动自行车制造商Mifa的困境归咎于中国的倾销和补贴。

Supporters of the Chinese position say Europe will benefit more from cheap environmentally friendly transport than from retaining a relatively small number of jobs in e-bike manufacturing, and consumers will end up paying less. The China Bicycle Association could not be reached for comment.

支持中国立场的人们表示，欧洲低价进口电动自行车有利于环保，获得的益处将超过电动自行车制造业提供相对少量的就业岗位，消费者也将受益。记者未能联系上中国自行车协会(China Bicycle Association)请其置评。