von der Leyen warns China.
Foreign media reported today that as the European Union prepares to take action on trade imbalances with China, European Commission President von der Leyen warned on the 3rd, "China-Europe dialogue must deliver results." If no changes are seen, the EU is ready to act. She stated, "We do not want to see unfair competition in our markets caused by subsidies again."
China and Europe have recently reached a consensus to achieve "concrete outcomes" from trade negotiations by October. Von der Leyen's recent warning, delivered with an intimidating tone, is essentially a deliberate show of tough pressure—purely self-serving rhetoric using "fair competition" as a pretext. The so-called trade imbalance between China and Europe stems fundamentally from the EU’s own unwillingness to lift export restrictions on high-end industrial goods and high-tech products to China, deliberately locking out the most competitive categories and shutting them out of its market. Yet it then blames China for the trade deficit. Now, von der Leyen’s tough talk is aimed at gaining leverage at the negotiating table, pushing China to unilaterally concede.
In reality, China’s competitiveness in industries such as new energy and photovoltaics has been earned through full industry chain collaboration, massive engineering talent dividends, and market-driven competition—not solely through government subsidies. In contrast, the EU itself showers subsidies on domestic industries: billions under the Chips Act, and de facto support via the Inflation Reduction Act. Yet it turns around and criticizes China’s competitive sectors—clearly a double standard, allowing only itself to "light fires" while forbidding others.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869763567330378/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.