A China-Europe freight train sets off slowly after being supervised by the customs in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, on April 1. HU XIAOFEI/FOR CHINA DAILY
As trade tensions between China and the European Union show signs of escalating, economists and executives are calling on Brussels to abandon its "de-risking" strategy, strengthen dialogue with Beijing and enhance its competitiveness and supply chain resilience through deeper cooperation — a move they say would provide much-needed certainty for the global economy.
The call comes after Brussels, since the start of the year, has been expanding its trade defense arsenal, unveiling a series of restrictive measures targeting Chinese enterprises and products.
Most recently, its push to force EU companies to diversify suppliers under the bloc's proposed revision of the Cybersecurity Act is piling on yet more investment barriers and institutional discrimination, with China bearing the brunt.
"China-EU economic and trade cooperation stems from shared interests, and its essence is the result of comparative advantages and market competition," said Wang Xuekun, head of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
