讀後心得

At the press conference of the Ministry of Commerce of China on April 3, spokesperson He Yadong strongly opposed the United States' decision to impose "reciprocal tariffs" and stated that China would firmly take countermeasures to safeguard its own interests. He pointed out that several trade partners have expressed dissatisfaction and criticized the increase in tariffs as unhelpful in solving internal issues in the United States, which rather harms its own interests and global economic stability. He Yadong called on the U.S. side to immediately cancel unilateral measures and resolve differences through equal dialogue. At the same time, he mentioned that China is willing to further cooperate with the European Union in trade and to quickly resume negotiations on electric vehicle anti-subsidy measures. Although there are still frictions between China and the EU on multiple trade issues, experts believe that the relationship between the two may improve due to the impact of U.S. tariff increases.

At a press conference by the Ministry of Commerce of China on April 3, spokesperson He's Yadong strongly opposed the United States' decision to impose "reciprocal tariffs" and stated that it would "resolutely take countermeasures to protect its own interests." He pointed out that "many trade partners have expressed strong dissatisfaction and clear opposition," and emphasized that "history shows that raising tariffs does not help solve the problems faced by the United States itself; it not only harms American interests but also jeopardizes global economic development and the stability of supply and production chains." The Chinese side urged the "U.S. side to immediately cancel unilateral tariff measures and properly resolve differences through equal dialogue." The spokesperson repeatedly mentioned the term "many trade partners," demonstrating unity and consensus in China's attitude towards the U.S.

During the meeting, He Yadong revealed that a few days earlier, the Chinese Minister of Commerce had talks with members of the European Commission's Trade and Economic Security Committee, where both sides agreed to quickly restart negotiations on price commitments related to the electric vehicle anti-subsidy case to promote investment and industrial cooperation between Chinese and European companies. Due to the complexity of the case, the Chinese side decided to extend the investigation period for the brandy anti-dumping case at the request of the European side.

An expert who previously served as the chairman of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China stated that this is China's "charm offensive" towards the EU during the process of Trump's disruption of the existing international order. He believes that there is an opportunity for closer ties between the EU and China in the near future, promoting the easing of Sino-European relations. As Sino-American relations have become tense due to Trump's tariffs, the Chinese government must respond to this challenge and has long been prepared to counter.

The Secretary-General of the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU pointed out in a media interview that as two of the world's three major markets, China and the EU should strengthen communication and consultation to bring stability to the turbulent global trade. However, the initiative for China and the EU to draw closer and jointly resist Trump's tariffs faces many internal challenges. There are significant frictions between China and the EU on trade issues such as solar energy and electric vehicles, with the EU side having determined that the Chinese electric vehicle industry chain benefits from "unfair subsidy policies" and has implemented corresponding punitive tariffs, while Beijing has also imposed retaliatory tariffs on various EU products.

Although both sides continue to negotiate, it remains unclear when substantial results can be achieved. Furthermore, analysts worry that as Trump imposes tariffs broadly, the EU and China, as export-oriented economies, may face intensified competition outside the U.S. market, thereby exacerbating contradictions between them. Experts who have long monitored the Chinese economy point out that Chinese goods may need to seek other sales markets, particularly in the EU, and argue that although Chinese companies are more efficient and innovative, they are also enjoying substantial subsidies, and the undervaluation of the yuan further gives Chinese products an asymmetrical competitive advantage.

Regarding these concerns, the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU believes that the existence of trade frictions and differences is a "very normal phenomenon" and emphasizes that both China and the EU should act as maintainers of the multilateral trading system to prevent more severe shocks. It suggests restarting negotiations on the China-EU Investment Agreement to cope with global market volatility through cooperation.

However, a German economist argues that unfreezing the China-EU Investment Agreement is not a wise move. If China can significantly reduce subsidies and restore the appreciation of the yuan, then the agreement might be discussed, but that may not align with European interests, as the agreement could encourage European companies to increase investments in China, expand production capacity in Chinese factories, and thus threaten EU exports and local employment.

An expert who has lived in China for a long time mentioned that the impact of Chinese goods on the EU market and the potential job loss from the China-EU Investment Agreement fundamentally stem from China's industrial overcapacity problem, which is quite difficult to resolve given the current political and economic situation. He noted that China's manufacturing sector produces 34% of global goods, while actual consumption accounts for only 12%. This creates internal economic problems and affects relationships with trade partners; however, he still believes both sides are seeking to improve relations.

Think tank experts recently warned that Europe should not seek to draw closer to China amid a cooling of U.S.-Europe relations. Past Sino-European frictions still exist today, and the issues remain around overcapacity and unfair trade practices. Therefore, seeking alternative strategies may not necessarily solve the fundamental problems.

In light of this, the German and EU political circles have recently begun to mention the concept of "dual de-risking," aiming to reduce dependence on the U.S. and China simultaneously. Some experts point out that due to Trump's tariffs, the EU's de-risking strategy toward China has become more challenging, and there is a need to strengthen ties with countries in other regions to promote the diversification of economic and trade development.