- 2 mesi fa
Come evitare una guerra commerciale con la Cina?
Si profila una guerra commerciale con la Cina? In questa edizione del nostro programma di dibattito settimanale The Ring, Sakis Arnaoutoglou (S&D) e Nicolás de la Parte (PPE) discutono di quello che potrebbe essere uno dei temi più importanti dell'agenda politica dell'UE.
ALTRE INFORMAZIONI : http://it.euronews.com/2026/05/07/come-evitare-una-guerra-commerciale-con-la-cina
Abbonati, euronews è disponibile in 12 lingue.
Si profila una guerra commerciale con la Cina? In questa edizione del nostro programma di dibattito settimanale The Ring, Sakis Arnaoutoglou (S&D) e Nicolás de la Parte (PPE) discutono di quello che potrebbe essere uno dei temi più importanti dell'agenda politica dell'UE.
ALTRE INFORMAZIONI : http://it.euronews.com/2026/05/07/come-evitare-una-guerra-commerciale-con-la-cina
Abbonati, euronews è disponibile in 12 lingue.
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NovitàTrascrizione
00:08Hello and welcome to The Ring, Euronews' weekly debate show broadcasting from the European
00:14Parliament here in Brussels. I'm Stefan Grobe. On The Ring, members of the European Parliament
00:19go face-to-face on some of the biggest issues facing Europe. Today we want to talk about
00:26EU trade relations with China, which risk becoming so bad that the European economy may be seriously
00:34hit. Luis Alberto has more. Trade tensions between China and the European Union are escalating after
00:42Beijing called on EU member states to revise the bloc's proposed Made in Europe legislation.
00:49The draft proposal of the European Commission seeks to tighten the rules for foreign companies
00:54that want to participate in EU public procurement contracts or benefit from investment opportunities.
01:00The initiative, which aims to bolsters Europe's industrial capacity, was met with criticism by
01:05China's commerce ministry, who affirmed that if the EU, quote, insists on this punishment and treats
01:11China's enterprises in a discriminatory manner, Beijing would respond with countermeasures.
01:16In other words, retaliation. While Europe is trying to navigate a world of aggressive tariffs by Trump's
01:23administration, is it heading toward a full-scale trade conflict with China? Or can it still strike
01:27a balance between protection and cooperation?
01:32A lot to unpack here for our contenders. And here they are.
01:39Sakis Arnautoulou, a Greek MEP from the Socialists and Democrats group. He's a member of the delegation for
01:45relations with the People's Republic of China in the European Parliament. Advocating a pragmatic approach to
01:50global tensions, he cautions against escalation and said, Europe must remain open to cooperation with
01:56China, but it cannot remain naïve. We need a relationship based on fairness, reciprocity and
02:01transparency. The aim is not confrontation.
02:05Nicolás Pascual de la Parte, a Spanish MEP from the Central Right European People's Party. A career
02:10diplomat, he served as ambassador of Spain to NATO. As an MEP, he's a member of the Committee on Security
02:16and
02:16Defense. A strong transatlanticist with a geopolitical outlook, he warns about the global power shift
02:22driven by Beijing, stating, China's export restrictions are an escalation of the weaponization of trade
02:28policies. We have to confront this in a smart way. That means we cannot decouple from China, but we have
02:34to de-risk.
02:36So let me welcome to the ring Sakis Arnautoulou and Nicolás Pascual de la Parte.
02:41Great to see you and thanks for coming on the show. Thanks for having us.
02:46So the aim of the ring is to offer our viewers a glimpse at European Parliament debates.
02:52So you should feel right at home here on set. Are you ready?
02:57Yes, indeed. Okay, let's start with the thing that made headline just a few days ago.
03:03When Brussels presented its made in Europe proposals to strengthen our industrial base,
03:08China reacted with unusual harshness, threatening retaliation. Should we now be scared, Sakis?
03:16Of course not. I mean, what we did was actually the logical thing to do because China started it.
03:22I mean, it started some kind of a weird, let's say unfair competition and unfair trade that we have to
03:28answer back because otherwise we're not going to be able just to defend our industry and defend what we
03:33actually have reached so far. This prosperity that the European Union has, 27 countries together,
03:40this is not something that you can achieve just like that. So we have our methods and so we're going
03:46to defend our methods.
03:47Nicolás, this is a proposal coming from the European Commission. Is it dead on arrival after all these
03:55debates we had? I agree with my colleague. I think that the initial, the initiative from the
04:00Commission is based on the principle of reciprocity. That means that we have to, to relate with China
04:07on a real basis and to, and to demand from them the same treatment as we deliver to them. So
04:14far China has been
04:16taking selectively some norms of the World Trade Organization and disregarding other rules. From
04:21now on, I think that we have to keep with them a fair, transparent relationship based on reciprocity
04:27and nothing else.
04:28So the Commission has taken a much more assertive stance towards China recently. Is this the way to go forward?
04:36There is no other way to go forward, because as I said before, and this, it's a critical situation
04:42geopolitically where we also a lot of new challenges to face. And if we don't find a solution or we
04:50won't deal with that now, because some people and some would say that Europe has been naive so far. So
04:58we had
04:58to start at it years ago just to, to find some kind of a solutions in a way that we're
05:05not going to
05:05bring us in this difficult situation. So it's the only way, I think. That's my opinion.
05:09Tough on China, the right way? Not tough on China, realistic on China. So far,
05:14we have been dealing with them in a, in a way that it is not any more sustainable.
05:19As I said before, China is disregarding some, some rules for the World Trade Organization.
05:24They subscribe to it, but they select, pick up selectively what benefit them and disregard those who
05:30doesn't. China has to get used to deal with the European Union and with all the international
05:34partners on a basis of reality and reciprocity. And what we are trying to do now is to send a
05:40clear message to China. We want to engage with you. We want not a dependency relation. We want a
05:46relation on the same footing, but please be transparent. Please respect the international law
05:51and don't use commerce and trade as a coercive weapon against anybody.
05:54The Chinese have said that that made in Europe is just a vehicle to reduce China's influence. I mean,
06:01they're, they're right here, right? In a way. I mean, everybody's right from his own position,
06:06let's say. But the way they just managed to do things a little bit secretive and a little bit,
06:13you know, the way they just proceed the whole time is just a way that we cannot let it happen.
06:20As I said,
06:23we're not against China. We have to be clear. We want China as a partner. I'm not saying that we
06:27don't need China and China needs us. So a huge market. So China needs to also to consider that if
06:33it loses us, then it's going to have problems also. Do we want another China?
06:39We don't want another. I mean, it's very difficult to say. China is exactly what it is. We have to
06:45adapt
06:46and they have to adapt both sides because reciprocity is the main thing. Adapting is a,
06:51is a nice word, Nikolas, because it's ironic. The Chinese are accusing us of doing things,
07:00practices that China does at home or is promoting at home. For example, restricting access to key
07:08industries, limiting public procurement, pursuing aggressive industrial policies
07:14that support and finance strategic sectors. So why should we not hit back?
07:20The reality is that the access to the public procurement in China is nearly zero for European
07:26enterprises because there are a lot of obstacles, a lot of restrictions, legal and non-legal. In addition
07:31to this, they use a kind of a state run economy in which they have a state run banks, which
07:37give
07:38financing to the enterprises at zero cost, zero financial cost, so that they can dump us out of
07:45the market. And once they have the monopoly of this product, they increase the prices. They have done
07:50many times. Aluminium, steel, batteries, electric cars, they follow all the same pattern.
07:57They can have a financing at privilege rates, obviously, because all the banks in China are
08:03state-run. It is the communist party who decide where the money goes to. And once they dump us out,
08:08because they can, they can compete with lower prices, they increase the prices when they have
08:13the monopoly of the market. It cannot continue like that. So is that what we call de-risking?
08:17De-risking, of course. I mean, we cannot depend on, we want to have a trade engagement with China,
08:23obviously in transparent manner, but not to depend on them in strategic inputs. And so far, we still
08:31depend on many sectors on them, mainly on rare earths, critical minerals, and so on and so forth.
08:37We should reduce this dependency in order to have a fair relationship.
08:43Doesn't de-risking mean also protectionism? I mean, we're dealing with a country here. I mean,
08:50we have to deal with a country where we need to play nice, but the country is not sharing our
08:55set of
08:56values. Isn't that the core problem? It's okay. That's a new era that everybody wants to rule the
09:01world in a way. I mean, as far as the trade is assert, but we doesn't, it doesn't mean that
09:06we,
09:07Europe has to let it happen the way that some countries want it. To protect your values,
09:14to protect your principles is not bad because if you just let China do what it wants, then
09:20there's a huge possibility in the coming years that the cheap products are going to be affordable
09:26for the citizens of Europe because we're not going to be jobs. They're not going to be
09:30industries in order to produce things. So we have to face it and we have to see,
09:35are we going to let it happen the way the Chinese want it or are we going to enforce our
09:40industry so
09:41that the citizens, the European citizens are going to be able in the long run basis, be able to buy,
09:47produce and buy products from wherever they want. So if we as Europeans, as a union act as a sovereign
09:55bloc, the way China acts as a sovereign country, doesn't that make a trade war inevitable?
10:02Not at all. I think that once we are able to act united against, vis-a-vis China, we will
10:10have a better,
10:11a better, a better standard to deal with them. I mean, China, China is always trying to divide us.
10:17China prefers to deal with us on a bilateral basis. And it's fair actually. They try to get benefit
10:23dealing bilaterally with all of us. We have to offer a common, consensual strategy vis-a-vis China,
10:29which is not either offensive or defensive. It is fair. We ask for fairness and to, I mean,
10:35we have to be clear in China 30, 40 years ago had no technology at all. I mean, we Europeans
10:41and
10:41the Americans, we have been exporting and transferring to them a lot of technology because it was a request
10:47from them. You could not invest in China. You could not sell in China unless you transfer technology.
10:52Yeah. And they have benefited from this transfer in order to compete with us, disregarding sometimes
10:58the World TV, WTO rules. All right. So let me stop you just here as we're getting warmed up right
11:05now.
11:10Now it's time for our viewers to get a real flavor of the European Parliament chamber where members
11:15ask each other questions and sometimes it can get heated. That means it's time for you guys to
11:23challenge each other directly, just as you do in the hemicycle behind us. So let's get started.
11:30So I just wanted to ask Michael because EPP, I mean, says sometimes all the time, I mean,
11:36we have to enforce interest to which I agree, but I have the feeling that the citizens,
11:41the everyday citizens for EPP is not, you know, is not included the way that should. So if the market
11:49works so well, why the citizens, the European citizens are complaining still?
11:53No, because I mean, because the market is working well when the participants in the
11:59market wants to play fair. The Chinese have not played fair so far. Sometimes they do,
12:04sometimes they don't. And the only request we demand from them is that they have to respect
12:10all the WTO rules and to deal with us on a fair basis. That is all. The market normally
12:17reassign or readjust the differences. But in this time, not because China is not a normal
12:24commercial partner. It is a state capitalism in which the communist party take decisions
12:30on its own that normally in our countries is taken by the market. This is the difference.
12:35Follow up. And then what about the wages are stagnated. And so there is no
12:41prospect that the wages are going to be to be reasoned the way that you sometimes you say in the
12:47European Parliament that you are going to be able to raise wages in a way according to your plan. But
12:54I don't think that it's possible the way that geopolitically is what's going on at the moment.
12:59Well, I think that wages are dependent on the international markets. I mean, capitals, jobs,
13:06and wages travel across the world. And it's very difficult to fix a wage in Europe which is not
13:12competitive vis-a-vis China, vis-a-vis the US. Nowadays, we have not to compete among ourselves
13:17in Europe, as used to be the case. Now we have to compete internationally very toughly with the US,
13:23with China, and with other competitors. The wages will be the result of many factors, as you know.
13:28It's not a question for us Europeans to decide which is the perfect level of wage. The wage is the
13:33result
13:33of income, of technology, of the workforce training, of input, of the prices of the raw materials, of many
13:42things. But it's clear that in an international trade scenario, the competition will be much tougher
13:49than before. And the wages will reflect this reality. Okay, Nicolas, carry on and ask Sakis a question.
13:56Well, I have a couple of them. I mean, to what extent can the guliness to engage in dialogue,
14:04as you say, with China, be interpreted as a lack of firmness in the face of unfair trade practices?
14:10You know, we always have to try. I mean, the dialogue must always be here, because otherwise
14:16misunderstandings can crop up in a way that cannot be reversible. So I think we have to stick on our
14:22values. I have to I mean, I've been in contact with Chinese people and stuff, and they're also
14:28willing to understand. But we have to to make clear that it's not that we have we're targeting China.
14:36This is absolute what we should do. We just want to protect our values in within a dialogue that can
14:45bring us closer and closer for the benefits of our nations. Follow up? Yes. In the European
14:52Union, if the European Union does not respond with strong measures towards China, what alternatives do
14:58you propose to prevent the loss of competitiveness in key sectors such as electric vehicles, for instance?
15:05Yes, we've already tried it with Mercosur, for example, just to find some other markets. But we have
15:10to be very careful, because EPP is a little bit too open to markets. But we have to also take
15:17into
15:17consideration that we have citizens, we have producers that might be affected by those openings
15:24to other markets. Yes, to opening to other markets. It's necessary, but not with every cost.
15:32All right. Well, we've heard the views from our guests. Now it's time to bring in a new voice.
15:42For our quote of the week, I would like to bring in Maro Sefkovic, the EU commissioner for trade and
15:48economic security. A few days ago, he told Euronews how he believes we should deal with China. Take a
15:55listen. We are not interested in any trade wars. And I made it clear from the from the day one,
16:00and I
16:00engaged from the day one with our Chinese counterparts. I was in Beijing. We had a meeting with Vice Prime
16:07Minister Hellifeng and I'm in regular contact with my counterpart. We cannot have a trade deficit
16:121 billion euros a day. We cannot have deficit 360 billion a year. It's simply unsustainable. I think
16:19what we need is indeed strategic patience, lots of courage to deal with the difficult issues, because
16:26the war is easy to declare, but it's very difficult to stop. And therefore, I think what we need is
16:33to have
16:33regular structured talk also with China. I would say crystal clear about that we would fight the
16:41tooth and nail for every European job, for a European company, for every European sector, if we see that
16:45they are treated unfairly. That's that's our job. So we need strategic patience and a lot of courage.
16:52Do you agree with him? Yes, I do. The point with China is that they have an overproduction,
16:57and yearly overproduction of the commissioner has pointed out of around 600,000 million euros a year.
17:04Why? Because there is no domestic demand, because they don't have a welfare state. Then the Chinese,
17:10they save much more than us, because they don't have any future sustained by any kind of subsidies
17:15coming from the state. Then they don't spend as much as they could. They save a lot. And that's why
17:21the
17:21national demand doesn't absorb the overcapacity of the China economy. And this overcapacity is sent
17:26abroad. And this imbalance we have to correct. Sakis, where do you come down on this, hearing the
17:31commissioner? I think our viewers have to to understand that patience, of course, it's necessary.
17:38But on the other hand, we also, as we said, strategically, we have to go on. Europe has very many
17:45benefits.
17:46But for me, it's the only mistake that Europe still is doing is to take decisions very slowly. And we
17:54need to just accelerate all this stuff. Because otherwise, I mean, United States and China that
17:58matter. I mean, the decision making is so fast that we cannot follow up. So I think we need to
18:06accelerate everything in order just to cope up with all the situation globally.
18:09The commissioner also said that a trade deficit of 360 billion euros is unsustainable economically
18:16and politically. How can we prevent it from ballooning further? Is that even possible,
18:22Nicolas? Of course it is. I mean, they have to open their market, not only the private market,
18:27but the public procurement market that so far, as I said before, is nearly closed because of so many
18:33restrictions. Second, they have to play with the game with the same rules. They cannot have
18:40this kind of subsidized help and an assistant to the enterprises to compete abroad. These subsidies
18:47have to disappear and they have to compete on the same level of fairness. And third, they have to
18:52not to overproduce things that they cannot consume at home and they have to sell abroad. I mean,
18:59it's a kind of many factors that we have to balance. And of course we have to be more aggressive
19:04and
19:04more competitive in the Chinese market. Of course it is possible if you invest in your industry and
19:09you just don't want to have your green transition only by importing products from abroad, especially
19:15from China, then you are in the end going to end up outsourcing jobs and having no jobs at all,
19:23but
19:24taking all the products, especially from China. This is going to be a huge imbalance. So we need to
19:29be very careful and we can change the whole rhythm towards... Of course we have to invest in the right
19:35industry. Exactly. Okay, lots of stuff to talk about here. Let's take a break on the ring right now.
19:41We'll be back with more after this. Don't go away.
19:53Welcome back to The Ring, Euronews' weekly debate show from the European Parliament. I'm Stefan Grobe
19:58and I'm joined by Sakis Anautoglou, a socialist from Greece, and Nicolas Delaparte from the European
20:05People's Party from Spain. At this point, let's remind ourselves how big an economic power China is
20:11and how important our trade with that country is. So China recorded a 1.2 trillion global trade surplus
20:19in 2025. The EU's trade deficit with China reached roughly 360 billion last year. China accounts for
20:28560 billion euros in EU goods imports last year, making it the EU's largest import partner. And EU imports
20:38from China increased by 6.5% year on year in 2025. So calls for rebalancing have for the most
20:47part gone
20:48unheard, right? Is that a debt concept, Sakis? You know, I mean, seeing all this, it's terrifying when
20:56you hear all these numbers, because actually, if when I read it and whether the viewers see it, I mean,
21:03sometimes it's a huge imbalance in how we're supposed to cope up with it. But it is possible and it
21:11is some
21:12kind of a way of bringing it back, taking the measure that we set. Otherwise, it's going to be
21:18huger. The differences in the next couple of years. Niklas, to what extent is EU policy towards
21:28China being shaped by pressure from the United States? Because this is a player we cannot forget.
21:34here. I think that we have to have our own autonomous foreign policy and trade policy.
21:40I would like to have a kind of common approach with the United States to go hand in hand vis
21:45-à-vis China.
21:45But we have to defend our own interests and our own identity features, hopefully with the United
21:52States. But we have, as I said, to keep our own approach. That means a couple of things. We have
21:59said
21:59before that what is the homework that the Chinese have to carry out. But we, on our side, we have
22:03also
22:03our homework to do. We have to be more competitive in many disruptive technologies in which there is
22:09a catching up need for the European Union, whether artificial intelligence, counting computing, robotics,
22:15the data on the cloud, biotechnology. It's not only to request the Chinese to trade fairly.
22:23It is also for us to be more competitive. We need to do our homework.
22:26Yeah. Is that also signing the U.S. trade deal?
22:31We need to be very careful when voices like today's voice from the other part of the Atlantic,
22:39I mean, send different messages. Okay. You know, Mr. Trump did one very good thing.
22:45It brought together the European countries more quickly than it happened before.
22:52So I think it's a very nice lesson. And it's a huge opportunity just to take advantage of all this.
22:59Do you agree that Trump, I might say Putin as well, are kind of helping us to get unified?
23:07Yes, somehow both of them are external federators.
23:10And we perhaps should set up a monument to both of them because they are reinforcing
23:14the unity and the coherence of the European Union.
23:17When we talk about Trump, be careful what you wish for.
23:20No, that's the point. I think that, I mean, the European Union normally reacts before crisis
23:25in a way that it doesn't normally do. The point now is that, as my colleague has said,
23:31time is of the essence. We'll have too much time to react because things are happening at a pace,
23:36at a breakneck pace, and we have to react quickly. We have to set up a clear strategy towards China,
23:45which is not aggressive, which is not defensive. It is fair. And we have to demand from them
23:49something that we have to do here at home as well.
23:52Time is of the essence. And now it's time to move on to our fifth and final round.
24:02And now I want to do something different. I'm going to ask you a set of questions,
24:07and you can only answer whether yes or no. All right?
24:10So, as I start with you, is access to the Chinese market still essential for Europe's economic growth?
24:16Yes. Yes, indeed.
24:19Okay. Were the EU's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles worth the risk of retaliation?
24:28Yes. Yes, indeed. But I think the Chinese need to understand that we're not focusing on targeting China.
24:36We just try to protect our values. Okay. Long yes.
24:41Would you buy a Chinese car if it's considerably cheaper than a European one?
24:46I would. I mean, I'm not saying no, but the thing is that because, you know, if you don't have
24:52the money,
24:52you have to do something. Okay.
24:54But on the other hand, yes, I would.
24:56Yes, you would.
24:57Nicholas?
24:58It depends on the quality, not only on the price. The quality for me is very important.
25:02Excellent. And I think that European cars are better.
25:04All right. Are WTO mechanisms still effective?
25:08Yes and no, in a way, but we have to, let's reform some,
25:13because some of them are old and, you know, things are changing very rapidly.
25:17Right now, mechanisms are effective, yes or no?
25:20Not entirely.
25:21Okay. Is the EU's new industrial policy compatible with open trade principles?
25:27Of course. That is one of our main objectives.
25:30Yes.
25:31Good.
25:32Are bi-European measures a necessary correction?
25:41Yes, in a way.
25:43A definite maybe, but yes.
25:45Okay. Now, squeezed between Trump's America and China, should Europe become more protectionist?
25:52Not at all.
25:54No, we don't need to be protectionist, to bring protectionism. Stay open, but very careful.
26:01Okay. Can Europe realistically compete with China's state-backed industrial scale without similar subsidies?
26:11No. We cannot compete, but we have to force them to abide by the international rules,
26:18not for us to disregard the international rules.
26:20Okay. Finally, was there anything over the last half hour that you agree with your opponent?
26:26Well, actually, we have agreed on many things most of the time, because we have a very sensitive
26:32approach. We expect from China fairness, reciprocity, and good governance in international trade.
26:40And we are ready to offer them the same. That's why we share very much our approach.
26:45I don't think that there is space for disagreement nowadays when we have something in common just to
26:51protect and save our industry and our European citizens. So, for me, I've agreed also in
26:56many, many things with my colleague.
26:58Okay. So, we have a common ground here between the People's Party and the Socialists. Fantastic.
27:04But it's good for Europe.
27:05That's good for Europe. Right. And that final answer brings us to the end of this edition of
27:10The Ring. Thanks again to Sakis, Anna Autoglou, and Nicolas Delaparte for a lively conversation
27:16here from the European Parliament. Thanks to our audience at home. If you like, you can continue the
27:22conversation by sending us your comments to the ring at euronews.com. That's it for today. I'm Stefan Grobe.
27:29Take care and see you soon on Euronews.
27:32The Ring.
27:34The Ring.
27:36The Ring.
27:40The Ring.
27:41Autore dei sorrisi
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