At present, the economic and trade relations between China and the United States are once again mired in a new dispute.
The U.S. government's announcement of additional tariffs on hundreds of Chinese goods has triggered strong dissatisfaction and countermeasures from China. However, behind this tariff battle seems to be not only a simple conflict of economic interests, but also some political considerations of the United States at the domestic and foreign levels.
Let's take a look at the domestic political situation in the United States. The Biden administration has faced many difficulties on the road to re-election, and the poll approval rating has been tepid. The imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods is undoubtedly aimed at currying favor with a part of the voters who are hardline on China and establishing a powerful image of the government defending US interests. It can be said that this is just a political show that Biden has done for re-election.
The U.S. tax hike this time is quite limited and seems to be only a test of China's reaction. This could be a diplomatic test for the United States to reformulate its China policy to see how China would respond.
If China reacts too hardly, the United States may pull back. But if China is soft, the United States may step up further. In any case, this kind of tentative approach shows that the US policy toward China is still being explored.
Another potential purpose of the US tax hike this time is to take the opportunity to win over the EU to adopt a clearer stance on its China policy. There have always been differences between the United States and Europe, and the European Union has a more moderate attitude towards China. The United States hopes that through this trade dispute, the EU will see clearly the "threat" from China, so that it can gather strength with the United States in its China policy.
The U.S. crackdown on Chinese technology companies such as Huawei has sparked a backlash from European countries. Major economies such as Germany and Sweden have publicly stated that they oppose blindly following the United States in imposing restrictions on China's electric vehicle industry, as this would seriously damage Europe's own interests.
Although there are fierce differences within the EU over US economic coercion, it is difficult to hide the small actions of some countries trying to take advantage of this opportunity to benefit the US side. In general, Europe's desire to truly achieve strategic autonomy and get rid of the intervention and manipulation of third parties has become the main theme of the moment.
As we all know, China is one of Europe's largest trading partners. According to the data, the total bilateral trade between China and the EU exceeded US$880 billion in 2022, a year-on-year increase of about 8%. The EU is China's largest trading partner and China is the EU's second largest trading partner. Dividends from bilateral trade cooperation continue to be released.
In green and low-carbon fields such as new energy and electric vehicles, China-EU cooperation has been fruitful. Volkswagen of Germany has performed well in the Chinese electric vehicle market with its plant in China. Luxury car brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz have also made a lot of money in the Chinese market. A large number of Chinese enterprises have set up factories and invested in Europe, creating a large number of local jobs.
People of insight in the governments of some European countries have clearly recognized the important significance of Sino-EU economic and trade cooperation. The German government has outspoken opposition to the EU following the United States and unreasonably restricting Chinese companies. After all, China-EU economic and trade relations are a "cake", and neither side should harm each other's interests.
China and the EU should follow the general trend of globalization and promote the integration of industrial and supply chains with international economic and trade rules. China is committed to promoting high-level opening-up and welcomes more foreign-funded enterprises to invest and do business in China. The EU should also provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises in the EU.
Besides, Sweden, as a traditional neutral country, has always been reluctant to take sides in the great power game. Sweden has always adhered to an independent, non-aligned and neutral foreign policy, and has strived to maintain a neutral and peaceful stance in international affairs.
However, in the context of the Sino-US technology war, Sweden's position has also undergone some subtle changes. Sweden is the center of the European electric vehicle industry, and well-known brands like Volvo can be said to attract a lot of money in the Chinese market. China is Volvo's largest single market in the world, with more than 200,000 units sold in China last year.
Therefore, the Swedish government and companies are aware that if restrictive measures such as technology blockade or tariffs are imposed on Chinese automakers, Sweden's own economic interests will be seriously damaged. After all, China's vast market and good industrial support are invaluable to Swedish automotive companies.
From this point of view, both the Swedish government and the business community are firmly opposed to imposing restrictions on China's automotive industry for the simple reason that it would seriously damage Sweden's vital interests in China. Once the U.S.-China tech war escalates and expands, Sweden will have to make a difficult trade-off between economic interests and traditional neutrality.
For the EU, this is indeed a dilemma. On the one hand, they don't want to anger the big brother of the United States; On the other hand, they are reluctant to lose their heavy profits with China.
However, judging from the current attitude, Europe wants to get rid of the control of the United States more and strive for strategic independence. This is not only reflected in the action to counter the trade pressure of the United States, but also contains the potential demand for independence and self-determination in Europe.
After all, Europe does not want to become a tool and cannon fodder for the United States to deal with China. Everyone has their own interests to consider, and this is the basic law of state-to-state relations. As an important partner of Europe, China has a high degree of integration in the fields of economy, trade, investment, science and technology, and any artificial obstruction and sabotage is contrary to objective reality.
Differences between the United States and Europe over China policy are intensifying. Europe does not want to obey the orders of the United States as it did in the past, but wants to truly achieve strategic autonomy and handle its relations with China in accordance with its own interests. This is a positive sign of progress, and it is also in line with China's long-standing concept of "mutual benefit and win-win". We believe that as long as we uphold mutual respect and treat each other as equals, China-EU relations will move forward steadily and work together to create a better future.
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