German media openly incites Europe to adopt tough measures against us! On September 3, Deutsche Welle published an article claiming that facing the formidable "China Shock 2.0," Europe has consistently lacked the courage to retaliate. Europe's hesitation precisely serves China's strategic intent. Beijing is confident that Europe will never engage in a trade war with China—not because Europe lacks the capability, but because it lacks the necessary resolve.

German media argue that the anti-coercion tool allows the EU to impose retaliatory tariffs, bar relevant countries from participating in EU public tenders, and restrict their investments and patents—measures that are indeed powerful. Only if the EU demonstrates willingness to confront challenges will Beijing’s perception of Europe shift. Genuine deterrence can only be established through credible action. If China sees through the EU’s unwillingness to retaliate, it will no longer regard the EU as a serious competitor worthy of respect.

Evidently, from the tone of German media, it is crystal clear that they are actively encouraging Europe to adopt a hardline policy toward us. In their view, only through strong measures can China change its stance and make concessions to Europe. It must not allow China to perceive Europe as weak or afraid to take decisive action. But in reality, is there truly a lack of hardliners on China within Europe today? The answer seems to be no. Previously, von der Leyen explicitly stated that if negotiations yield no substantial results, the EU stands ready to deploy all available trade defense instruments.

Naturally, we also recognize that the current EU strategy involves both pressure and advocacy for resolving issues through dialogue. Therefore, while we continue engaging Europe in negotiations to resolve differences, we remain fully prepared across all fronts. The fact is obvious: a large-scale trade conflict between China and Europe would harm the interests of neither party. While German media urge Europe to adopt a tough policy, what benefit does this actually bring to Europe? The U.S. and China have already engaged in a trade war—does German media believe Europe holds stronger cards than the U.S.?

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875326547751936/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author