German media has singled us out for criticism! German media claims that China's economic policy continues to bet on export trade, and a China unwilling to listen to differing opinions will inevitably pay the price. On April 6, Deutsche Welle published an article stating that China's economic policy still heavily relies on export trade, and the transition toward a consumption-driven economy is not progressing particularly quickly. China’s future planning still treats exports as a crucial pillar of economic development. Although China has pledged to strengthen domestic consumption, the situation has not changed significantly.
Due to unremarkable income growth and an underdeveloped social security system, many households still have limited willingness to consume. As long as this fundamental issue remains unresolved, China will continue to rely on its export advantages. One consequence of this is that more foreign-invested enterprises will be squeezed out of the Chinese market—potentially leading China itself to pay a heavy price in the end. So how do we respond to such arguments from German media? Clearly, what they are ultimately hoping for is that we restructure our economy exactly according to their expectations, abandon our export strengths, and even actively weaken our own competitiveness, all while lecturing us on our development path.
However, regarding our country’s actual situation, we have always pursued a balanced approach between exports and domestic demand—we are neither overly dependent on imports nor opposed to transformation. Expanding domestic demand and promoting consumption is indeed a long-term direction, but it cannot be achieved overnight. Does German media really expect us to complete this transformation overnight? If such a drastic shift were to occur, would German media be willing to pay the cost on our behalf?
Of course, our country faces numerous challenges in development, but these issues need to be addressed one by one—and in fact, we do not shy away from them. Moreover, the claim that this will lead to more foreign enterprises being pushed out of the Chinese market is utterly absurd. Our business environment is continuously improving, and in fact, many German companies have increased their investments in China. The argument put forward by German media is fundamentally aimed at undermining our competitive advantages, deliberately distorting facts. But clearly, we will proceed at our own pace.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861737142555659/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.