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Trade tensions between China and the European Union are escalating after Beijing called on EU member states to revise the bloc’s proposed “Made in Europe” legislation.
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The draft proposal of the European Commission seeks to tighten the rules for foreign companies that want to participate in EU public procurement contracts or benefit from investment opportunities.
The initiative, which aims to bolster Europe’s industrial capacity, was met with sharp criticism by China’s commerce ministry who affirmed that if the EU “insists on this punishment and treats China’s enterprises in a discriminatory manner,” Beijing would respond with countermeasures. In other words, retaliation.
While Europe is trying to navigate a world of aggressive tariffs by Trump’s administration, is it heading toward a full-scale trade conflict with China — or can it still strike a balance between protection and cooperation?
The topic couldn’t have been more timely when this week’s contenders stepped into The Ring at the European Parliament in Brussels.
In the left corner: Sakis Arnaoutoglou, a Greek MEP from the Socialists and Democrats Group (S&D), member of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China in the European Parliament and an advocate for a pragmatic approach to global tensions.
He cautions against escalation: “Europe must remain open to cooperation with China, but it cannot remain naive. We need a relationship based on fairness, reciprocity and transparency. The aim is not confrontation.”
In the right corner: Nicolás Pascual de la Parte, a Spanish MEP from the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), member of the Committee on Security and Defence in the European Parliament and a strong transatlanticist.
He warns about the global power shift driven by Beijing: “China’s export restrictions are an escalation of the weaponization of trade policies. We have to confront this in a smart way. That means we cannot decouple from China, but we have to de-risk.”
This episode of The Ring is anchored by Stefan Grobe, produced by Luis Albertos and Amaia Echevarria, and edited by Vassilis Glynos.
Watch The Ring on Euronews TV or in the player above and send us your views by writing to [email protected].
