Three signals to pay attention to and speak out intensively are related to China’s electric vehicles
According to reports, the EU will postpone its decision on whether to impose countervailing duties on Chinese electric vehicles until after the European Parliament elections on June 9.
Recently, officials from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce have been to Europe to express their opinions intensively. There are three signals to pay attention to.
Signal 1: Protectionism is a dangerous dead end.
From accusing China of "overcapacity" and "unfair competition" in new energy vehicles, to initiating anti-subsidy investigations on electric vehicles imported from China despite the clear opposition of many EU companies and other industries, to direct raids and inspections of Chinese-funded companies in Europe Office space, and withholding corporate operating equipment, the EU's recent series of actions have a clear protectionist tone.
When meeting with Portuguese Minister of Economy Reis, Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao pointed out that the series of trade protection measures recently adopted by the EU have seriously interfered with mutually beneficial industrial cooperation between the two sides and affected the confidence of Chinese enterprises in investing and developing in Europe. Protectionism is not a way out, but a dangerous dead end.
Wang Wentao also said when investigating the Cheri Ebro joint venture factory in Barcelona, Spain that China and Europe have both competition and cooperation. Expanding cooperation in healthy competition and achieving win-win results is the right way to get along.
He expressed the hope that the EU would abandon protectionism and return to the right path of dialogue and cooperation.
Chen Wenling, chief economist of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said in an interview with China News Service: The United States had previously raised tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, lithium batteries and other products to "set an example" for allies including the European Union. , with the intention of recruiting allies to jointly suppress China's new energy industry.
Chen Wenling said that Chinese new energy vehicles have been "hard to find" in the EU in recent years, and the traditional automobile industry in some EU countries has been affected. The EU follows the United States and adopts trade protection measures, aiming to prevent China's new energy products from entering and occupying the local market in large quantities and buying time for its own industrial development and transformation. But in fact, tripping up your opponent doesn't make you stronger.
Signal 2: Economic and trade frictions should be dealt with through dialogue rather than confrontation.
Ling Ji, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations, chaired a symposium of Chinese-funded enterprises in Greece in Athens, Greece, and said that China is willing to properly handle economic and trade frictions with the European side through dialogue and consultation, accommodate the legitimate concerns of both sides, and carry out trade and investment for enterprises of both sides. Cooperation provides an open, fair, predictable and healthy market environment.
Many EU members and companies also believe that a trade war is definitely not an option.
Le Maire, the French Minister of Economy, Finance, Industry and Digital Sovereignty, declared that any form of trade war should be avoided because a trade war "does not serve the interests of the United States, China, Europe, or the world." interests of any country."
German Finance Minister Lindner believes that there are only losers in trade disputes, not winners.
The EU is now China's second largest trading partner. Feng Zhongping, director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that China-EU industrial chains, supply chains, and value chains are deeply intertwined and intertwined. It is not terrible for the two sides to have economic and trade frictions. The key is to pay attention to each other's concerns and actively resolve them through negotiations.
Signal three: If trade friction escalates, China is fully prepared to respond.
Some analysts believe that there are clear differences within the EU surrounding the anti-subsidy investigation of electric vehicles in China, and it remains to be seen how the situation will develop.
Cui Hongjian, director of the Center for European and Regional Development Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said in an interview with the media that one group of EU members believes that the EU needs to cooperate with the United States to maintain its industrial security and economic security; the other group believes that there are conflicts between China and Europe, especially between China and Germany. Europe has already cooperated closely in areas such as electric vehicles. Blindly following the United States in imposing high countervailing duties on Chinese products will cause significant damage to Europe itself. If the EU really delays announcing the preliminary results of its investigation into Chinese products, it reflects the fierce game going on between the two factions.
Ling Ji expressed the hope that the European side will match its words and deeds and will not do anything that may cause the trade friction to escalate out of control. If the European side insists on going its own way and continues to suppress Chinese companies, China has the right and sufficient ability to take measures to safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese companies and effectively safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese companies. Maintain the overall interests of China-EU economic and trade relations.
Wang Wentao said that China advocates win-win cooperation, but does not avoid or fear competition. It welcomes healthy competition and opposes vicious competition that curbs suppression.
