By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU countries and lawmakers will on Thursday kick off discussions on a European Commission plan targeting foreign state-backed buyers of European companies amid fears of a Chinese buying spree. The 27-country bloc fears Chinese companies reinforced with state funding may acquire European firms whose share prices have been dented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commission, which announced the proposal last year, said the measure takes aim at subsidies which harm competition. The measure also covers bids in public tenders in order to prevent foreign subsidies us…