The EU’s China dilemma: how to counter Beijing without alienating friends

In September, the Jaecoo 7 – a budget SUV from China’s Chery Automobile – made headlines when it shifted more than 10,000 units to become Britain’s bestselling car.

Christened the “Temu Range Rover” online, a nod to the cheap goods available on the Chinese online marketplace and the luxury 4X4 made by Jaguar Land Rover that it resembles, its success showed British drivers’ new-found taste for cut-price Chinese cars.

Overall, 23 per cent of new cars bought in Britain last month were Chinese models, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, with several electric and hybrid models ranking highly.

But days later, the booming Chinese car market was caught up in a wider European trade dispute.