brazilian media: eu's trade policy towards china should not blindly follow the us
2024-09-13
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reference news reported on september 13on september 12, the pakistan observer website published an article titled "eu-china electric vehicle tariff war: high risk of protectionism", written by imran khalid. the article is excerpted as follows:
earlier this year, the united states took the lead in raising tariffs on chinese electric vehicles to 100%, arguing that it was protecting american jobs. the european union quickly followed suit, imposing tariffs of about 38% on some chinese electric vehicles.
in this war of tariffs, protectionism and geopolitical manipulation, national industries have become the battlefield. this reflects the west's growing anxiety about china's technological progress and competitive advantage. the rising tariffs are not only economic barriers, but also show that western powers are trying to contain china's rise in the global market.
some rhetoric in european circles has followed washington's view, portraying china as an imminent "strategic threat" to the european continent, making sino-russian relations the focus of concern. however, this alarmist stance brings an obvious contradiction: countries such as india also maintain strong trade relations with russia, but are not condemned like china. most of the economic windfall from the ukrainian crisis has been reaped by the united states, while the european union has borne the brunt of the damage caused by rising costs.
china has launched anti-dumping investigations on some eu products. but in fact, china has so far adopted a restrained strategy and only responded when provoked. but europe must ultimately decide whether to follow washington's footsteps or to forge a more pragmatic path - recognizing that china's rise is not necessarily a threat, but can also be an opportunity for constructive engagement.
china and the eu are the world's largest producers and consumers of electric vehicles, so a stable trade relationship is essential. historically, cooperation between the two sides has driven substantial economic growth, with both sides benefiting from each other's market and manufacturing strength.
on the positive side, despite the negative rhetoric spread by european "china skeptics", most eu member states have not fully embraced an anti-china stance. countries such as germany, france, italy, spain and the netherlands have maintained stable and productive relations with china. josep borrell, the eu's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, recently urged the eu to take a more cautious and rational view of china.
at a time when there are concerns that blindly following the united states could drag the eu into an unnecessary trade war, the challenge for europe is to maintain a beneficial relationship with china while balancing strategic interests.
the pragmatic stance of major european powers shows that maintaining cooperation with china remains pragmatic and necessary for europe's future. after all, china is one of europe's largest trading partners, and the economic ties between the two sides have promoted the growth and stability of the china-europe automotive industry in the past. imposing tariffs on chinese electric vehicles may further increase tensions. the risk of further escalation will not only damage the automotive industry, but also the global economy. eu leaders must consider the broader impact. (compiled by xiong wenyuan)
