Since the European Union decided to impose temporary countervailing duties of up to 38.1% on Chinese electric vehicles, the voice of the Sino-EU trade war has been loud. At present, China's Ministry of Commerce is conducting an anti-dumping investigation on European brandy and pork. For the EU, the cost of losing China as an important partner is heavy.
Against this backdrop, German Vice Chancellor Habeck paid a three-day visit to China, and the EU hopes that dialogue will avert the worst-case scenario. So, what was the outcome of Habeck's visit to China?
First of all, China and Germany have reached five important outcomes on climate change and green transition. On the second day of Habeck's visit to China, the first high-level dialogue of the China-Germany Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism on Climate Change and Green Transition was held in Beijing.
Sino-German meeting
At the meeting, the two sides reached five important outcomes, including: the two sides launched the Sino-German provincial and state cooperation on green transformation under the framework of the mechanism, agreed on the 2024 work plan of the Sino-German Energy Efficiency Working Group, agreed on the "Key Points of Recent Activities for the Implementation of the Sino-German Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency Dialogue Action Plan", established the Sino-German Industrial Carbon Reduction Working Group, and launched the Sino-German cooperation on energy efficiency improvement demonstration projects in key areas.
These five cooperation achievements have also made Habeck's trip to China not in vain, and have effectively promoted the practical cooperation between China and Germany, and there is still great potential for future cooperation between the two countries.
Second, it was during Habeck's visit that Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held a video conference with the Executive Vice President of the European Commission, and China and the EU agreed to start consultations on the EU's countervailing investigation of electric vehicles against China.
China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao
During his meeting with Habeck, Wang Wentao expressed China's opposition to the EU's initial tariff ruling, and called on Germany to play an active role in the EU.
Habeck said that the German side believes that the imposition of tariffs is the worst means, and that consultation and dialogue are the way to solve the problem. The current attitude of the Chinese side is that it hopes that the best outcome is that the EU will lift the temporary tariff decision by July 4.
In fact, the EU does not have many "bargaining chips" in its hands if it wants to push China to make concessions at the negotiating table. More than one-third of the EU's manufactured goods are exported, and China is an important market. And, considering the possibility of Trump taking office, the EU needs to seize the Sino-European trade and hedge the potential risk of a trade war between the United States.
Central
Finally, although Habeck was the negotiator of the European side, he only represented Germany and could play a very limited role.
In fact, Habeck bluntly said that he did not expect this trip to resolve the EU's tension over tax hikes with China, and that the possibility of resolving the conflict during his stay in China could be ruled out, and he could not negotiate on behalf of the EU.
Not only that, but Germany's attitude is also debatable. On the last leg of his visit to China, Habeck was more concerned about Sino-Russian trade, demanded that China stop supplying goods to Russia, claimed that Sino-Russian relations had affected Sino-European economic relations, and even openly threatened sanctions against China.
Habeck
As for the Sino-EU trade dispute, he used "not punitive tariffs" to pass it off, saying that the EU has concluded that "countervailing measures" must be adopted through a nine-month investigation, but there is still room for maneuver in this matter.
To put it bluntly, Germany is also more inclined to the EU's position, but it wants to have both fish and bear's paws, wanting to take advantage of China and being afraid of retaliation. As the saying goes, if the European side does not have the sincerity to solve the problem, it will naturally not get what it wants.
According to German media, Habeck hoped to meet with high-level Chinese officials during his visit to China, but in the end he could not make the trip.
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