www射-国产免费一级-欧美福利-亚洲成人福利-成人一区在线观看-亚州成人

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
Comment

EU's rational response to tariff attack should be to look eastward

By Zhang Zhouxiang | China Daily | Updated: 2025-04-15 00:00
Share
Share - WeChat

Incoming German chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed concern over the protectionist trade policies of US President Donald Trump. In a revealing interview published by Handelsblatt on Saturday, Merz suggested that Trump's aggressive tariff strategies could trigger a financial crisis.

The Christian Democratic Union leader who is poised to become Germany's next chancellor in early May expressed alarm at the global economic situation, something that is both timely and warranted. Earlier this month, Trump signed two executive orders invoking "reciprocal tariffs", under which all steel and aluminum imports faced a baseline tariff of 25 percent, with an additional 20 percent for European products. In response, the European Union slapped 25 percent retaliatory tariffs on €21 billion ($23.94 billion) worth of goods from the United States. Although the EU suspended these countermeasures after Trump agreed to delay some of his tariffs, this temporary pause does little to restore confidence.

The US administration's track record is defined by unpredictability — unilateral decisions, erratic reversals, inflammatory announcements, and a tendency to weaponize uncertainty, a pattern of behavior that erodes the foundations of trust and stability the global economy relies on.

This is precisely why Merz's concern is not out of place. While the tariffs themselves are damaging, the greater danger lies in the climate of uncertainty they create. The administration's repeated threats and impulsive policy shifts hang over the global economy like a sword of Damocles, and even when partially lifted, the specter of their return lingers, casting a long shadow over markets, investment decisions, and international relations.

Merz's warning should not be Germany's alone to heed — it is a call for vigilance that must resonate throughout the EU. According to Handelsblatt, Merz is acutely aware that there will be no grace period for his government. With pressing domestic reforms on the horizon and external threats growing, his readiness to act decisively could serve as a model for European leadership.

At an informal gathering on Friday, EU finance ministers and central bank governors arrived at a consensus that Europe must pursue a dual-track strategy, combining trade defense mechanisms with diplomatic engagement. It would be wise for Europe to look eastward for solidarity, for economic opportunity, and for a shared stance against protectionism. China, like Europe, has found itself in the cross-hair of the administration's tariff crusade. By April 10, tariffs on Chinese goods imposed by the US had soared to an average of 145 percent, despite some temporary exemptions. China has responded with a 125 percent tariff increase on US products. Such extreme rates threaten to render US exports to China effectively unmarketable.

While tensions grow between both economies and the US, trade between China and the EU has not only endured but grown. Bilateral trade reached 1.3 trillion yuan ($178.06 billion) in the first quarter of the year, a 1.4 percent increase year-on-year, according to a news conference held by the Information Office of the State Council on Monday. This figure underscores the deep economic interdependence and complementarity between the two sides.

The US administration's abusive use of tariffs has, in many ways, isolated the US from the collaborative spirit of global trade. For China and Europe, two economies whose strength lies in openness and cooperation, the rational response is deeper integration and mutual support. If the global economy is split between advocates of free trade and champions of protectionist walls, it is clear which side China and Europe must stand on.

 

Today's Top News

Editor's picks

Most Viewed

Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产一级做a爰片久久毛片99 | 欧美国产成人一区二区三区 | 亚洲精品人成网线在线 | 99精品久久秒播无毒不卡 | 男子操女子 | 国美女福利视频午夜精品 | 国产亚洲精品91 | 久草免费手机视频 | 欧美freesex10一13黑人 | 久草在线国产 | 国内久久精品视频 | 欧美成人午夜毛片免费影院 | 国产亚洲精品午夜一区 | 国产激情一区二区三区在线观看 | 精品欧美日韩一区二区三区 | 国产成人综合91精品 | 欧洲美女a视频一级毛片 | 久久99国产亚洲高清观看首页 | 亚洲综合在线视频 | 免费看一级欧美激情毛片 | 国产精品午夜国产小视频 | 婷婷三级 | 日p免费视频 | 99精品欧美一区二区三区美图 | 手机看片1024国产基地 | 怡红院免费的全部视频国产a | 韩国免费一级成人毛片 | 国产精品午夜性视频 | 欧美成人性色生活片天天看 | 一区二区高清在线 | 国产成人免费手机在线观看视频 | 亚洲精品久 | 99re久久精品国产首页2020 | 一区二区三区欧美在线 | 日韩欧美国产亚洲 | 五月激情丁香婷婷综合第九 | 国产美女拍拍拍在线观看 | 亚洲另类视频在线观看 | 免费的一级片网站 | 成人禁在线观看午夜亚洲 | 日本理论片午夜论片 |