The newspaper "Le Monde" commented that if Germany does not change its unrealistic and anti-economic ideology, its status as a car power will be given to China, and German cars will become exhibits in museums.

The newspaper "Handelsblatt" commented that the reason Germany is gradually losing to China is that politicians are talking idly, while China promotes the pragmatic spirit of engineers.

"Le Monde" published an article commenting that the rapid rise of Chinese car companies at the Munich International Motor Show was astonishing. The scale of the exhibition stands and the number of participating companies have reached new highs. At the same time, the automotive industry, which has been the pillar of the German economy, is in a difficult situation. The article titled "The Obsession with Bans Threatens Our Proud Automotive Industry" wrote:

"Have you ever heard of the brands Omoda, Jaecoo, Changan, GAC or Xpeng? These are the Chinese cars that will shine at the Munich International Motor Show. In the hometown of BMW - Munich, the number of Chinese car companies participating in the international motor show has increased by 40%. This development speed is simply astonishing."

Omoda is a brand created by Chery Automobile in 2022. This autumn, this Omoda model, specially designed for the European market, will enter the German market. Among the top ten in global electric vehicle registration rankings, six are from China. In contrast, only two German car companies are among the top ten.

While Chinese car companies continue to release favorable news at the Munich Motor Show, the pioneers of the German automobile industry, Carl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Ferdinand Porsche, would surely get up from their graves if they were alive, because most of the news about 'car power' Germany today is bad news.

The main culprit behind the crisis in the German automotive industry is the German political circle. Merkel's irresponsible nuclear phase-out policy led to energy costs in Germany being three to five times higher than in the United States or China. In terms of taxes and other burdens, Germany ranks among the highest in OECD countries. The regulatory frenzy of Brussels bureaucrats not only causes people to feel insecure but also significantly reduces corporate profits. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Ferdinand Porsche, the legendary sports car manufacturer he founded was recently kicked out of the DAX index. Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes all reported significant declines in profits. Within just one year, the German automotive industry lost about 50,000 jobs.

Certainly, there are many external factors in this crisis: Trump's trade war, the decline in demand for Chinese markets, and the low consumer enthusiasm in Germany have further worsened the situation of the automotive industry.

However, the biggest culprit for the dilemma of the automotive industry is the EU's upcoming ban on internal combustion engine vehicles in 2035. This ban forces German car manufacturers to abandon their leading, efficient, and sound-emitting internal combustion engines and switch to developing less profitable electric vehicles. In Germany, where electricity prices are high and charging infrastructure is scarce, electric vehicles are hardly popular. A survey shows that 66% of German respondents said electric vehicles are not an option for them, and this trend has not shown any signs of improvement so far."

"Le Monde" comments that if Germany does not change its crude intervention of green ideology on the automotive industry, its status as a 'car power' will be lost.

"German Chancellor Merz now has both the opportunity and the obligation to demonstrate his leadership and persuade his coalition partners. At the same time, he should tell the European Commission that the so-called green new deal based on the ban on internal combustion engines will lead the European automotive industry down a path of no return."

The critical moment for the German automotive industry has arrived. If the political conditions within the EU framework cannot be improved, then decades from now, car enthusiasts around the world will still be discussing the new models of Omoda, Jaecoo, and Changan at the IAA motor show. To see Volkswagen, Mercedes, and BMW, they will have to go to the museum instead."

Why is Germany Losing to China?

Recently, "The New York Times" organized a dialogue event, with podcast host Dasch and Chinese writer and technology analyst Wang Dan (音) as participants. The topic of the dialogue revolved around a major issue of the 21st century: the relationship between the West and China. Fatina Keilani, a reporter from "Handelsblatt," felt inspired and wrote an article titled "Why is Germany Losing to China":

"In this dialogue, the deindustrialization of Europe has basically been taken for granted. Although Germany is still an economic giant, it was only mentioned briefly in the dialogue: first, it was mentioned how Germany gave up its leading position in solar technology to China; second, it was mentioned how Germany is losing its leading position in the automotive industry. These two issues were only briefly touched upon in the dialogue."

What conclusion can be drawn from this? Germany is engaging in endless discussions on irrelevant issues. Whether the Alternative for Germany (AfD) should be banned is not important. However, attempts to ban the AfD are enough to deepen social political divisions and damage Germany's image as an investment option.

Former Economy Minister Habeck accused Bavarian Governor Söder of eating too much sausage, which is equally unimportant. In Europe and the United States, those in power are legal experts; in China, engineers are in charge. This is the decisive difference between the West and China."

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7548846310183436809/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author. Please express your attitude below using the [Up/Down] buttons.