EU-China trade war looms after fiery Beijing conference exchange
EU Chamber president calls trade imbalance a 'giant container ship going to Europe almost empty'
Tensions flared at a Beijing conference last week where EU and Chinese diplomats and experts clashed over trade problems, with each side blaming the other for deteriorating ties. EU diplomats were accused of "bullying," and EU policies were labeled "protectionist" efforts to decouple from China. On a panel titled "EU-China trade relations, partnership or sinking ship?," Jens Eskelund, president of the EU Chamber of Commerce in China, described the imbalance as a giant container ship traveling full to Europe and returning almost empty. In response, researcher Jian Junbo criticized the EU for taking decoupling policies, urging the two sides to work together against protectionism.
- EU-hosted conference in Beijing featured sharp exchanges over trade imbalances
- Jens Eskelund described EU-China trade as a container ship traveling full to Europe but returning empty
- Chinese researcher Jian Junbo accused the EU of decoupling and protectionism
Why It Matters
Escalating tensions risk disrupting global supply chains and sparking a trade war between two of the world's largest economies.