BEIJING - China's Ministry of Commerce said Thursday it appreciated the European Union ending an investigation into Chinese wireless wide area networking (WWAN) modems.

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The decision, which was announced by the European Commission Thursday, sent positive signals and will boost the stable development of China-EU trade relations, said a statement on the ministry's website, citing a spokesman with its Bureau of Fair Trade for Imports and Exports.

The EU launched an anti-subsidy probe into the WWAN modems from China in September last year following an anti-dumping investigation and a safeguard measure probe into the modems last June.

The EU ended the safeguard measure probe in January 25 this year.

The investigation was the largest trade remedy investigation case against China, involving a total of $4.1 billion in exports. The complaint from EU modem makers was withdrawn in October last year after the sides signed a cooperation agreement.

The ministry called on China and EU trade remedy investigators to further work together and promote industrial cooperation.