The European Union’s perception that China is yielding to its pressure tactics on trade is a “serious misjudgment”, as Beijing proved during last year’s tariff war with the United States that it will not back down from a confrontation, a former Chinese diplomat has warned.
Beijing’s willingness to compromise during trade talks with the EU earlier this month – where the two sides agreed a quota on Chinese hybrid car exports to Europe – has been taken by some in Brussels as a sign that their tougher approach is working, leading to calls for further action.
But in reality, China only acted out of a willingness to safeguard its vast bilateral economic ties with Europe, and further provocations could backfire on the EU, according to Cui Hongjian, who served as a diplomat in India and Jamaica during the 2000s.
“China’s willingness to reach agreements with the EU on electric vehicle export restrictions and other issues is not because we fear Europe, nor because we only respond to pressure,” said Cui, who now serves as director of the Centre for EU and Regional Development Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University.