Recently, Germany and France have been frequently "coming forward," becoming increasingly aggressive and unreasonable in their statements regarding China.

Firstly, French President Macron recently made remarks at the EU summit, stating that if China refuses to make concessions on rare earth exports, the EU should use its most powerful trade tools, even mentioning the "nuclear option" - the Anti-Coercion Instrument Act.

In fact, it has also been revealed that Germany has similar ideas. However, although the Anti-Coercion Instrument Act came into effect at the end of 2023 and is regarded as a "nuclear option," it has never been used so far. Nevertheless, Germany and France have already taken a very tough stance.

Now, the president of the German Central Bank, Nagel, has also spoken out, saying: "If retaliating against China is the last resort, we must be firm and make bold decisions."

After this series of actions, there seems to be a "joint pressure" posture.

However, upon closer examination of all Nagel's statements, one can easily find contradictions within them.

According to reports from Bloomberg, Nagel, at the "Berlin Global Dialogue Conference," claimed he hoped Europe could resolve trade issues with China, while simultaneously openly emphasizing that Europe needs to be prepared for "tough actions" when necessary.

Before making his "big move" statement, he also added a note: "I hope there is still room for maneuver and time to solve the problem," and emphasized that he believes the ideal situation is for China and the EU to reach a consensus and agreement.

It is clear that this is essentially a balance between "pressure" and "leaving room for retreat": trying to gain negotiation leverage through a "tough" stance, implying that China might turn to "confrontation" if it does not yield, but without wanting to completely cut off cooperation.

The reason why Nagel made such radical confrontational statements is partly due to ideological prejudices and partly due to unavoidable practical difficulties.

For Germany, the most direct impact is in the automotive industry. According to data from the automotive industry analysis firm JATO Dynamics, Chinese car brands' sales in Europe have nearly doubled this year.

Germany, which once earned huge profits from cars and machinery, now not only faces price competition from Chinese automakers, but also sees its advantages in key areas like new energy and intelligent technology gradually eroding.

What really unsettles them is China's export control over rare earths, hitting a "weak point" of German manufacturing.

Rare earths are the "lifeblood" of products such as car motors, semiconductors, and high-tech machinery. Germany is highly dependent on imports in these industries, and China, as the global leader in rare earth production, has caused German companies to panic immediately, fearing supply chain disruptions.

At the same time, European companies are also having a hard time in the Chinese market.

With the rise of Chinese domestic brands, European companies' competitiveness is getting weaker. The days when they could easily profit in the Chinese market by relying on technology and brand are long gone.

Evidently, Nagel's "retaliation" remarks seem to come with a lot of force, but in reality, they are more like an emotional release of current difficulties.

One can only say that some Westerners are used to "taking advantage." Once their own interests are not met or they fall behind in competition, they tend to use aggressive words like "retaliation" and "confrontation" to exert pressure.

However, this kind of "bluster" cannot solve any problems; instead, it only continues to consume China's patience and trust, ultimately causing themselves to lose more opportunities for cooperation.

China's measures on rare earth export control are a normal operation to improve the export control system according to law. China has also clearly stated that it has always provided approval convenience for EU enterprises.

If Germany and France truly take the "nuclear option" and "retaliation" seriously, it will eventually backfire on themselves. After all, the Sino-European industrial chains are deeply integrated. Industries such as German automobiles and French luxury goods depend on the Chinese market and supply chain.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7565029332431798847/

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