China Resolves EU Rare Earth Shortage, Macron Threatens to Trigger Trade "Nuclear Option"
When China defends its national interests, the West starts to become furious and reacts emotionally.
According to Bloomberg, French President Macron recently stated at an EU meeting that if the EU fails to find a solution to China's control over rare earth exports, it could consider activating the "nuclear option" of the Anti-Coercion Instrument Act, including raising tariffs, restricting participation in public procurement, service trade and investment, as well as intellectual property protection.
The Anti-Coercion Instrument Act has never been activated since its passage in 2023, even when former US President Trump waved the "tariff stick," the EU only threatened to use the act but did not actually implement it.
Now, Macron's threat to use the Anti-Coercion Instrument Act against China clearly shows he has never seriously paid attention to how China responded to America's unilateral trade bullying this year: If the EU dares to activate the act, they will inevitably face China's equivalent countermeasures.
From Macron's threats to German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's insulting remarks about China, it is not difficult to see that even though China has become the world's second-largest economy, and even though China is now holding the West's throat with rare earths, these Western countries still refuse to face reality and are unwilling to dialogue with China from an equal and respectful perspective.
This boils down to arrogance. The West will not sit down for negotiations unless they are hurt.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1846949458550791/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.