The president of the European People's Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, is calling on the European Union to adopt a significantly firmer trade policy towards China, arguing that China's industrial power poses a direct threat to the European economy, according to reports. Bild am Sonntag.
“The time for naivety is over,” Weber declared, calling on Brussels to defend its interests “with greater clarity, firmness, and consistency.” He believes the EU’s trade deficit with China, which he estimates at around one billion euros per day, is becoming unsustainable and jeopardizing industry and jobs in Europe.
He argues that the European Union should use China's access to the single market as leverage to impose stricter competition rules and ensure compliance with European standards. He also proposes limiting the participation of Chinese companies in EU-funded development projects.
These statements come ahead of a European summit scheduled for June 18, during which leaders are expected to discuss new trade measures, including instruments to protect against economic imbalances and practices deemed unfair.
Weber's position reflects a broader trend within certain European political currents, which call for a reduction of economic dependence on China, in a context of increasing trade tensions between major powers.
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