In the “Second EU-China Relationship Forum” held in Beijing on May 12, the EU delegation engaged in intense arguments with Chinese officials over issues such as trade imbalance, market access, and protectionism, nearly reaching a breaking point. Experts suggest that the EU now sees China as a “systemic challenge” and the risk of a trade war between China and the EU is approaching a critical point.
According to the report in the South China Morning Post on May 17, the EU and China heatedly debated escalating trade friction during the forum. The EU accused Beijing of ignoring long-standing European concerns and turning a blind eye to the increasingly imbalanced trade relationship. On the other hand, China accused the EU of implementing protectionist policies while trying to decouple from Beijing.
During a panel discussion entitled “EU-China Trade Relations: Partners or Sinking Ship?” both sides engaged in heated discussions, almost coming to blows.
Jens Eskelund, Chairman of the European Chamber in China, criticized China for ignoring facts, accusing China of exporting a large number of goods to the EU while blaming the EU for protectionism. He described the current trade situation between China and the EU as a massive 400-meter container ship loaded with 24,000 containers heading to Europe but almost returning empty.