During his visit to Beijing, Macron pointed out that one of the ways to reduce the EU's trade deficit with China is to accept Chinese investments in Europe. — We cannot import constantly. Chinese companies should come to Europe – said the president of France.
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China's growing influence in the European economy
China has been systematically increasing its economic influence in Europe for several years, becoming one of the key trading partners of the European Union. The inflow of Chinese capital includes investments in the industrial sector as well as in infrastructure and technologies.
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The rise in Chinese investment brings both benefits and challenges. On the one hand, it allows for the development of infrastructure and job creation, and also increases European consumers' access to Chinese products. On the other hand, there is a risk of dependence on foreign capital and Beijing's influence on strategic decisions in EU member states. Technology sectors are particularly vulnerable, where Chinese companies can gain access to innovation and know-how, raising concerns about cybersecurity and the competitiveness of European companies.
China's presence in Europe is also a matter of trade policy. Beijing uses investment and market access as a negotiating tool as it seeks to balance trade deficits and promote its own economic interests. Therefore, European countries are trying to balance between openness to Chinese capital and protection of their own strategic sectors, which can be seen in the growing interest in regulations on foreign acquisitions and mechanisms for controlling investments from outside the EU.
Chinese President Xi Jinping
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gov.cn / gov.cn
French President Emmanuel Macron threatens China with tariffs. He admits there may be one problem
French President Emmanuel Macron has threatened to introduce tariffs on Chinese products in the coming months if China does not take steps to reduce its trade deficit with the European Union. In an interview for the “Les Echos” daily published on Sunday, Macron emphasized that this decision would be analogous to the actions taken by the United States.
— I told them that if they did not react, we, Europeans, would be forced to take decisive action, e.g. introduce tariffs on Chinese products – said the French president after the end of his state visit to China.
Macron assessed that the trade deficit problem is worsened by the protectionism of US President Donald Trump's administration, which is redirecting a massive inflow of Chinese goods to European markets. — We are now caught between two stones and it is a matter of life and death for European industry – he emphasized.
However, the French president admitted that Creating a common European front against Beijing will not be easy because Germany, with a strong presence on the Chinese market, “is not quite on our team yet.”
