The French newspaper "Les Échos": China Eats Everything, From Cars to Foie Gras

A commentary article by senior editor Le Boucher published in "Les Échos" states: From cars to foie gras, China eats everything!

China's Export Ambitions Expand to Foie Gras

The article cites a Reuters report stating that Li Fengshan (Li Fengshan, transliterated), who once struggled to afford food ten years ago, has recently purchased a Maserati Levante SUV. His goose farm in eastern China will produce 500 tons of foie gras this year—more than five times the annual output of an average farm in southwestern France, which produces only 10 tons per year. China is now flooding Southeast Asia and Europe with foie gras at prices as low as one-quarter or even one-fifth of French AOC-grade foie gras.

The Crisis Facing Germany’s Automotive Industry

The article continues: This week, Volkswagen announced plans to cut 100,000 jobs and shut down four factories within Germany. The group’s market share in China has been steadily declining (German automakers’ sales in China dropped from €30 billion in 2022 to €13.6 billion in 2025), while Chinese car brands have doubled their market share in Europe within a single year—from 6% to 12%—and are on track to reach 12% by 2028. To make matters worse for Germany’s auto industry, Volkswagen’s joint project with Bosch on developing autonomous driving technology has been officially abandoned. China and the United States now lead far ahead in two core areas of modern automobiles: batteries and software. German executives admit this is due to “exhausted business models” and “technological backwardness.”

Divisions Within Europe and External Pressures

The impact of China on Europe in sectors such as automobiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, electronics, and robotics is no longer news—especially after Trump partially closed off the U.S. market, making this trend even more pronounced. In 2025, the Sino-European trade deficit reached €360 billion. Yet Europe remains indecisive, with endless meetings but little concrete action. On June 9, the 27 EU countries decided to strengthen oversight of Chinese investments (to prevent European core assets from being seized) and cautiously advance the “Made in Europe” strategy—but still lack strong measures.

The article notes that there is considerable support for a tough stance toward China among Nordic countries and France. However, this strategy faces multiple obstacles: Spain leans more toward Beijing than Washington, Germany remains hesitant, and the greatest concern for Europe is China’s potential retaliatory actions. As a result, Brussels continues to pursue a “non-confrontational” approach—mirroring its stance when facing Trump’s tariff policies.

Crises and Reflections

Although Europe is no longer naive and clearly recognizes it is losing ground across all fields, it is only trying to slow down the retreat. Under Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership, the European Commission has adjusted its policy direction in recent years: shifting from almost full focus on environmental protection and regulation (such as the Green Deal) to incorporating military, economic, and technological interests. Yet Europe remains far from daring to undertake a comprehensive strategic, commercial, industrial, technological, and financial transformation—let alone institutional reform—to confront the unchecked expansion of the two global giants, the U.S. and China. Reports by Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta remain shelved. Deep divisions persist within the European Commission, and public opinion across member states struggles to let go of the comfortable era of trade and peace. The irresistible temptation of foie gras priced at one-quarter the cost and Chinese cars remains strong in the eyes of Europeans.

Finally, the article references the fable "The Wolf and the Dog": chicken bones, pigeon bones. Europeans think they can keep their own fat, but what about their bare necks? It may seem insignificant. But what else is there?—the collar that binds them.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869782589951050/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.