讀後心得

At the press conference of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on April 3, spokesperson He Yadong expressed strong opposition to the United States' imposition of "reciprocal tariffs" and emphasized that countermeasures would be taken to protect China's interests. He pointed out that historical evidence shows that raising tariffs does not resolve America's issues; instead, it impacts global economic stability and supply chains. He Yadong called on the U.S. to cancel unilateral tariffs and to resolve differences through dialogue. Recently, the Chinese Minister of Commerce had talks with EU officials, and both sides agreed to restart negotiations on the electric vehicle anti-subsidy case. Experts predict that China and the EU may move closer in response to Trump's tariff policies, but they also face challenges from internal trade frictions. Analysts worry that competition may exacerbate conflicts between the two sides, as issues of China's overcapacity and substantial subsidies still persist. German economic experts suggest that the EU should strengthen cooperation with other markets to reduce reliance on China and the United States.

At the press conference of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on April 3, the spokesperson strongly criticized the U.S. decision to impose "reciprocal tariffs," stating that China will "resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own interests." He pointed out that "many trade partners have expressed strong dissatisfaction and explicit opposition" and claimed that "history has shown that raising tariffs cannot solve America's own problems, which not only harms America's own interests but also threatens global economic development and the stability of supply chains." China called on the U.S. to "immediately cancel unilateral tariff measures and properly resolve differences with trade partners through equal dialogue." It is worth noting that the spokesperson mentioned "many trade partners" multiple times during the press conference.

He revealed that recently, the Chinese Minister of Commerce held discussions with the visiting EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, and both sides agreed to quickly restart negotiations on pricing commitments for the electric vehicle anti-subsidy case to promote investment and industrial cooperation between Chinese and European enterprises, creating a favorable environment. Due to the complexity of the case, at the request of the EU side, China decided to legally extend the investigation period for the brandy anti-dumping case.

In a media interview, an expert pointed out that China is using the current international situation to strengthen its relationship with the EU, achieving a "charm offensive." He believes that in the near future, the relationship between the EU and China is likely to deepen and ease. Due to the increasingly tense China-U.S. relations caused by the U.S. continuously raising tariffs, the Chinese government must take countermeasures, indicating that they are already well-prepared.

The Secretary-General of the China-EU Chamber of Commerce also believes that China and the EU occupy important positions in global trade and can enhance stability through strengthened communication. However, in the face of Trump's tariff policies, the proximity of China and the EU to resist systemic issues also faces considerable internal resistance. There is notable friction between the two sides on trade issues such as solar energy and electric vehicle anti-subsidies. The EU investigation found that China's electric vehicle industry chain benefits from "unfair subsidy policies," leading to the imposition of punitive tariffs on corresponding products. Meanwhile, Beijing has also imposed retaliatory tariffs on many EU products. Although both sides have consistently maintained negotiations on this issue, it remains unclear when concrete results will be achieved.

Many analysts worry that as the U.S. broadly increases tariffs, the competition between the EU and China, as export-oriented economies, will intensify in non-U.S. markets, further exacerbating mutual tensions. Experts focusing on the Chinese economy point out that Chinese products may be forced to seek other markets, especially targeting the EU market. Although Chinese enterprises have improved in efficiency and innovation, they are still affected by substantial subsidies, and the undervaluation of the renminbi against the euro gives Chinese products an asymmetric advantage in the market.

Regarding these concerns, the Chinese Secretary-General stated that as large economies, trade frictions and differences between China and the EU are normal. Currently, both sides should work together as guardians of the multilateral trading system, preventing further competition and protecting the global multilateral trading system from more severe impacts. He also suggested restarting negotiations on the China-EU Investment Agreement to address global trade instability through cooperation.

However, some experts hold different views, arguing that unfreezing the China-EU Investment Agreement at this stage would not be wise. If Beijing can significantly tighten subsidies and restore the appreciation of the renminbi, discussing the feasibility of the agreement might be possible; however, even then, it may not necessarily align with Europe’s overall interests, as the agreement could encourage large corporations to increase investments in China, expand production, and further harm the EU's exports to China, threatening local employment opportunities.

Experts point out that the market competition of Chinese goods and the potential job losses resulting from the China-EU Investment Agreement stem fundamentally from the overcapacity of Chinese industry, which is difficult to resolve under the current political and economic system. They noted that China's manufacturing accounts for 34% of global goods production, while China's consumption only accounts for 12% of the global total. This situation will inevitably lead to domestic economic issues and affect relations with trading partners. Nonetheless, he still believes that both sides are seeking to improve their relationship.

In light of the current situation, Germany and the EU are gradually proposing the concept of "dual de-risking," which involves reducing economic and trade dependence on both the U.S. and China. Experts state that the EU's strategy to de-risk from China will become more challenging due to Trump's tariffs, which means that the EU must strengthen its relationships with Latin American countries and nations in the Asia-Pacific region to promote trade diversification.