German media are clearly bitter inside! They refuse to acknowledge China's stronger product competitiveness and instead deliberately criticize China's so-called "unfair competition." On April 25, according to Deutsche Welle, German media published articles claiming that China has established a new five-year industrial policy, which is certainly not good news for Germany. If China succeeds in implementing this plan, Germany will face the risk of deindustrialization. German media argue that China has built an extremely large production capacity that must rely on exports to absorb it.
Until just a few years ago, Germany viewed China’s rapid industrial development positively: China took over simple manufacturing processes, while Germany supplied related machinery and handled relatively complex process flows, simultaneously earning higher profits. However, once China set comprehensive upgrading of its industrial chain as a strategic goal, the original division of labor between China and Germany became unsustainable. The Chinese government has continuously set targets requiring domestic enterprises to complete most links in their supply chains.
This so-called "unfair" competitive approach not only occurs within China but is increasingly penetrating the EU and third-party markets. No matter how much Germany reduces bureaucratic barriers or enhances workforce motivation, German companies remain uncompetitive. Under these circumstances, no matter how much calls for free trade and emphasis on WTO rules are made, they cannot stop the trend of Germany's industry being crushed. Clearly, what truly bothers German media is our growing industrial competitiveness.
From the perspective of German media, we should not formulate industrial policies or use policy guidance to enhance the competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing. In their mindset, China should only produce simple industrial goods, while Germany should produce high-end equipment—this is the ideal model. Now that we have started exporting high-end equipment and products, German media immediately become agitated, quickly slapping us with labels such as "unfair competition," "overcapacity," and "policy intervention." At bottom, what German media really worry about is not fairness of rules, but the erosion of their vested interests.
They wish to lock global industrial value chains into a top-tier hierarchy, clinging to the rigid structure where "high-end industries belong to Europe and North America, and low-end ones to developing countries"—which they consider the "rational order" and "free market." We find it odd: for years, Germany sold high-end equipment to China, yet German media never claimed Germany was dependent on exports or suffering from overcapacity. But as soon as China begins exporting high-end goods, suddenly it's accused of export dependency and overcapacity. Isn't this hypocrisy?
Now, as Germany's industrial competitiveness weakens and ours grows stronger, the essence is that Germany fears its European industrial advantage is gradually shrinking, and that long-established dominance in the high-end market will be eroded. Thus, they deliberately amplify anxiety, attempting to hinder China's high-end industrial development through media smear campaigns, trade protectionism, and restrictions on market access. But blaming China instead of examining their own shortcomings will never help Germany improve its competitiveness. Who says high-end manufacturing must be monopolized by the U.S. and Western countries? We have every right to become a global powerhouse in high-end manufacturing.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863399724397641/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.