Dear Brussels: Don’t Blame Beijing
The EU's stagnant performance in the Chinese market is attributed to its eroding industrial competitiveness, not Chinese market barriers. Between 2018 and 2025, the EU's share of China's total imports shrank from 13.7 percent to 9.1 percent.
The European Union's China policy is trapped in a contradiction, with the rivalry narrative overriding cooperation. The EU's challenges in its relationship with China are self-inflicted, stemming from its eroding industrial competitiveness. China has been the EU's second-largest trading partner for over a decade, with bilateral trade sustaining approximately 3.5 million European jobs as of 2023. The EU's exports to China as a share of the bloc's global exports fell to their lowest level in 15 years, from 11 percent in 2018 to 8.3 percent in 2025. European products are losing their edge, with the EU's share of global exports declining from 14.7 percent in 2018 to 10.7 percent in 2025. The EU is being outcompeted in price, innovation, and speed-to-market in the Chinese market.
This content was automatically generated and/or translated by AI. It may contain inaccuracies. Please refer to the original sources for verification.