European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is unleashing a barrage of trade restrictions against China, aiming to tackle unfair trade practices that are said to be contributing to social and political challenges for the bloc.
In addition to an investigation into Chinese subsidies for electric vehicles, the European Union is also investigating whether Beijing provided illegal support for wind parks on the continent, it has brought subsidy probes into solar and railway firms, and will shortly launch an inquiry into China’s procurement of medical devices.
The deluge of investigations is a reflection of the EU’s increasingly assertive approach to China — threatening restrictive trade measures that could result in tariffs, cutting China off from European markets, and potentially leading to a trade war. But for some, it’s a matter of the EU finally taking steps to make international trade fair again.