Companies in the Far East: Customs dispute as an opportunity? EU chamber sees moment for China

From the perspective of the EU Chamber of Commerce based there, China has a way to become more attractive as a partner in the escalated trade dispute with the United States. “China has the chance to be perceived as a reliable, stable and predictable trading partner,” said Chamber President Jens Eskelund in Beijing. But the People’s Republic has to rethink how it deals with the rest of the world, the Dane said. His facility represents around 1700 companies from the EU that are active in China.

From the Chamber’s point of view, Beijing had also operated his “ambitious” “daunting” industrial policy “made in China 2025” for EU companies. But at a time when the United States would bring “unprecedented uncertainty” for the future of global economic relationships, be it in Beijing’s interest in showing the EU, the chamber wrote in a new paper.

What China wanted with “Made in China 2025”

Beijing could achieve this through a departure from strongly coordinated industrial policy such as “Made in China 2025” and a turn to market -oriented reforms that offer companies from China and abroad the same conditions. Because with electric cars with which the country is very successful, the EU already controlled tariffs.

China had presented “Made in China 2025” in 2015. With the plan to bring its companies into global management positions in ten key technologies, Beijing caused astonishment. From then on, the country was no longer just a partner for many countries, but also competitors. Foreign companies lost market share for Chinese companies by promoting the government.

This is how China’s industrial policy also worked in Germany

In order to catch up faster to catch up, China went on a shopping tour early, for example when the household appliance specialist Midea took over the German robot manufacturer Kuka in 2016. In 2024, China passed 10,000 employees past Germany in the number of industrial robots and thus achieved a higher level of industrial automation than any European country, as the chamber wrote.

According to the chamber, “Made in China 2025” was partially successful. Although the People’s Republic has not achieved some of the specific goals for some areas, the overarching goal of further modernizing the entire processing in China, it was said.

Not achieved all goals

In some industries, China is technology leader. For example, the People’s Republic has become the largest electric car country by largely localized supply chains. China is also in the process of becoming the most important shipbuilder and only needs a few parts from abroad on trains.

It went worse in the aviation sector. China successfully builds drones, but does not manage C919 with self -developed passenger aircraft without parts of foreign suppliers. China produces many medication itself in the pharmaceutical industry. However, these are at the lower end of the price and qualitatively, which is why the EU Chamber expects products from foreign companies to have the future in China because of its high security.