Autonomy in Sino-EU economic ties entails Brussels heeding genuine business voices: China Daily editorial

As the "deadline" set by the European Union — to impose harsher trade measures against China by October unless upcoming trade negotiations yield concrete results — looms, Brussels has made a flurry of proposals and taken multiple actions that cast a long and damaging shadow over the future of China-EU economic relations. Pursuing this path could lead to negative consequences for both sides.

Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission's trade chief, will meet European CEOs on Sept 18 to solicit their views on Brussels' efforts to diversify critical supply chains away from China. This meeting, which will bring together business leaders from the machinery, electrical component, automotive and chemical sectors, is part of a broader push to secure industry buy-in for a proposed "diversification tool" that encourages companies to source critical imports from at least three different suppliers where alternatives exist.

Adding to this offensive, the European Commission is expected to propose a sweeping reform of EU public procurement rules later this week, marking the latest move to limit the EU's economic dependence on China. EU industry chief Stephane Sejourne is also set to unveil a draft Public Procurement Act on Wednesday, which aims to curb "harmful strategic dependencies on third-country suppliers", a thinly veiled reference to China.

This confrontational posture is a departure from the mutually beneficial engagement that has long characterized China-EU economic relations. In recent times, EU members, such as France, Germany and Spain, when engaging bilaterally with China, have emphasized the importance of economic cooperation. Their leaders' visits to Beijing have usually been accompanied by large business delegations, sending positive signals about strengthening trade ties. Yet, at the EU level, the discourse is strikingly adversarial.

This disconnect reveals a flaw: some in Brussels, detached from the realities of business, are dictating a policy that undermines the interests of its member states. This drift toward a more hostile stance aligns with the United States' policy.

Washington has been pressuring the EU to take its side in its trade war with China. This pressure was palpable last week when US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent used the meeting of the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors to criticize China's trade surplus and called on members to re-examine their terms of trade with Beijing. Rather than charting an independent course, Brussels appears inclined to follow Washington's lead, adopting the same rhetoric of "imbalance" and "overcapacity".

As Sefcovic prepares to meet European business leaders next week, it is crucial for EU policymakers to heed the constructive advice from the companies expected to shoulder the cost of this de-risking agenda. The European Commission should not let Washington dictate its economic policy.

Brussels would do well to remember how Washington treats its allies. The US has argued that the EU's trade surplus with it indicates that the bloc is taking advantage. The EU rightly pointed out that such surpluses result from market competition and consumer choices. It is ironic then that the EU is now using the very same flawed logic of the US against China.

Addressing trade issues should involve consultation and negotiations. In a positive development, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto on Tuesday in Beijing for discussions on China-Finland and China-EU trade ties.

The EU's "deadline" and ultimatums are counterproductive. The bloc should note the trajectory in recent China-US trade talks, which were marked by rounds of negotiations that yielded positive results. If Brussels proceeds with punitive policies, Beijing will have to retaliate, creating a lose-lose scenario that neither side desires.

Brussels should realize that its protectionist approach not only damages its economic ties with China but also undermines the EU's economic interests. It is time for it to abandon this self-defeating crusade and return to resolving trade issues with China through talks.