Joint defense against Trump’s trade assault

While it is true that China and Europe do not always see eye to eye with each other, one thing they agree on is that the protectionism of the Trump administration should be opposed. This solidarity will undoubtedly be to the fore during Premier Li Keqiang’s sixday visit to Bulgaria and Germany that starts on Thursday, during which he will attend the seventh Leaders’ Meeting between China and Central and Eastern European Countries to be held in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital.

As US President Donald Trump is threatening billions of dollars in tariffs on steel, aluminum and cars imported from Europe, escalating worries over a full-blown global trade war, China, which is also a victim of the Trump administration’s protectionism, is reaching out to the continent with a clear message they should work together to uphold free trade and economic globalization.

China and Europe are in the same trench in the fight against the unilateralism and protectionism of the United States, which the European Union has called “totally unacceptable” and China sees as an act of “blackmail”.

There have been reports that the EU and China have agreed to launch a working group to promote reform at the World Trade Organization in a bid to ward off the damage that the unilateral actions of the US may do to the multilateral trade system. And the upcoming talks between Li and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has repeatedly criticized Trump for his protectionist policies, will help China and Germany coordinate their stances should this be the case.

And there is ample room for China and the EU as a whole to strengthen their cooperation, not only by boosting their economic ties, but also in fighting anti-globalization. It is the US that will lose more if China turns to Europe and buys more Airbus jets and farm produce, and looks to increase its investments in the EU, rather than the US.

Chinese companies have already invested heavily in the Central and Eastern European countries, building ports, airports and high-speed railways, and China’s trade with the 16 countries reached $68 billion last year, a year-on-year increase of 15.9 percent, while its trade with Germany hit $168 billion, up by 11 percent year-on-year.

Li’s visit will provide an opportunity for China and Europe to join hands as defenders of free trade in the face of US’ protectionism and demonstrate that the taunts and threats of the Trump administration are only uniting countries in opposition to his unilateralism, which promises to yield little advantage for the US.