Editorial: The louder the protectionism, the more precious the results of China-EU dialogue will be.

Introduction: Currently, global challenges are emerging one after another, and the global significance of China-EU relations has long transcended the bilateral scope. Protectionism cannot improve competitiveness, and decoupling and breaking links will only harm others and not benefit ourselves. By continuing to deepen the integration of interests, China and Europe can not only stimulate the innovative vitality of their respective markets, but also achieve and illuminate each other in the process of promoting global economic recovery.

From October 8th to 9th, China and the EU held the second regular meeting of the Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism in Beijing. The two sides conducted pragmatic and fruitful discussions and formed a consensus list covering 16 outcomes including trade and investment balance, export control, intellectual property rights and WTO reform. Against the background of sluggish world economic recovery and surging undercurrents of anti-globalization, this is a pragmatic move to properly handle bilateral differences. It is also a key responsibility for China and the EU to inject stability and certainty into the global economy in a turbulent situation.

Looking at this list in detail, its core value lies in being based on rules and using mutual trust as a bridge, demonstrating the political wisdom of managing differences and promoting a more stable and balanced China-EU economic and trade relationship. The first item on the list states that the two sides will continue to explore the possibility of reducing tariffs on some goods under the framework of WTO rules. In the field of hybrid vehicle trade, which is of great concern to the outside world, the two sides agreed to reach an understanding in a manner consistent with WTO rules, providing a buffer channel for the previously stalemate trade friction. In the field of export control, China expressed its willingness to continue to facilitate the approval of export licenses for rare earths and permanent magnets to Europe through the "green channel" mechanism. Both sides have also included export control ‘advance notification of listing’ in the list. This arrangement improves the transparency of the listing process, helps reduce misjudgments and stabilize expectations. This list covers a considerable number of difficulties and blockages in the current China-EU economic and trade. The consensus reached by both sides proves that as long as we uphold the spirit of dialogue and insist on equal consultation, we can find pragmatic solutions to no matter how complex trade frictions are.

The convergence of interests is an inevitable result of the development of economic globalization, and it is a powerful driving force for the common prosperity of China, Europe and the world. In 2025, China-EU trade in goods will exceed US$800 billion, with the total economic output accounting for more than one-third of the world, and bilateral trade volume accounting for nearly one-quarter of the world. Nearly half of the trade is intermediate goods trade. The pattern of "surplus in China and profits in Europe" has already made both sides a community of interests where "you are among us and I am among you." This also shows that as long as both parties work together, the synergy produced will far exceed the narrow calculation of a zero-sum game, creating huge incremental space for each other's industrial upgrading and people's well-being. Protectionism cannot improve competitiveness, and decoupling and breaking links will only harm others and not benefit ourselves. By continuing to deepen the integration of interests, China and Europe can not only stimulate the innovative vitality of their respective markets, but also achieve and illuminate each other in the process of promoting global economic recovery.

As an important strategic force in the world, Europe should uphold the tradition of multilateralism and strategic independence, and refuse to be swayed by the haze of protectionism and pan-security. In today's world, unilateralism is on the rise, and certain major countries frequently wield the stick of sanctions in an attempt to weaponize economic and trade issues. Europe has a profound tradition of free trade and should not follow the trend, let alone turn security anxiety into trade barriers.

As China has sincerely reminded many times, the EU should adhere to open cooperation and free trade, abide by WTO rules, and should not frequently use protectionist tools, let alone politicize and pan-security economic and trade issues, and avoid taking the wrong path in the wrong way and ultimately backfire on itself. China is not the source of the problems facing the EU, but a partner in solving them. Facing a complex external environment, Europe can only truly safeguard its fundamental interests amid a century of changes by taking a long-term view of China-EU economic and trade relations and insisting on equal dialogue and consultation.

Facing the future arrangements for institutionalized consultations, China and the EU should overcome thorns through continuous dialogue and jointly provide stability and certainty to the world. The two sides agreed to hold the third regular meeting of the mechanism in March 2027. Prior to that, the two sides would maintain close communication, including holding a ministerial-level video conference in January 2027. This institutionalized and normalized arrangement is an important guarantee for both sides to overcome differences and deepen cooperation.

At present, global challenges are emerging one after another, and the global significance of China-EU relations has long transcended the bilateral scope. In the face of a chaotic international situation, China and the EU should be partners of mutual trust rather than institutional rivals, and promoters of cooperation rather than creators of friction. We hope that China and the EU will take this consultation as an opportunity to continue to deepen cooperation in the direction of equal dialogue, mutual benefit and win-win, and translate more consensus into concrete actions, so that the dividends of China-EU economic and trade cooperation will continue to benefit the people of both places, and also inject more warmth and confidence into the world economy full of uncertainties.