Deutsche Welle wrote today (July 14): “【German Media: Made in China’s 'Coolness'] While Sino-European trade tensions are escalating over trade imbalances, Europe is experiencing an unprecedented heatwave, turning Chinese air conditioners into highly sought-after, scarce products. The Welt am Sonntag commented: If the EU continues to ignore the protection of its domestic industries, it will increasingly become dependent on China.”
[Sarcastic] Commenting briefly: Isn’t this precisely exposing the double standards in the EU’s trade policy? As China and Europe bicker over trade deficits, Europe faces extreme summer heat—highly cost-effective, locally adapted Chinese air conditioners quickly sell out, becoming essential for daily life. While Welt am Sonntag laments the decline of domestic industry and fears growing European reliance on Chinese manufacturing, it avoids confronting the core issue. For years, the EU has neglected the cooling technology sector, with industrial planning disconnected from the reality of climate change. Facing scorching temperatures, Europeans have no choice but to turn to Chinese-made products. European politicians constantly cry about overcapacity and brandish trade barriers, yet when heatwaves strike, they cannot function without China’s complete industrial supply chain. This contradiction reveals profound policy shortsightedness. The so-called dependency is never one-sided; rather, it is the bitter fruit of Europe’s own hollowed-out industry and mismatched supply-demand dynamics. If the EU fails to pragmatically adjust its industrial strategy, instead choosing protectionism to exclude high-quality foreign goods while ignoring people’s real-life needs, even building trade walls won’t make up for its industrial shortcomings. Such symptomatic anxiety can never be truly resolved.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870652224627716/
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