That's not true on the face of it. BYD overtook VW in chinese market only recently in 2024[1]. In fact what seem to enable chinese auto companies to become world leader was the fact that they were exposed to global competition from VW/Tesla/GM etc.
I think you were pointing out chinese strategy to force auto makers to make JV like SAIC Volkwagen[2].
While I'm not sure if that could work in west due to high cost of labour, regardless to me it seems the strategy behind these auto tariffs is to just shut chinese automakers out of the market at great harm to european consumer.
James K. Galbraith has stated that "free trade has attained the status of a god" and that " ... none of the world's most successful trading regions, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and now mainland China, reached their current status by adopting neoliberal trading rules." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_advantage#Criticis...
As with most countries, China has adopted some policies aimed at protecting or promoting its domestic industries, including targeted quotas, subsidies to certain key industries and rejection of patents in critical industries. - https://www.rfa.org/english/news/afcl/fact-check-china-prote...
> harm to european consumer.
What about the European worker and the European citizen? As a European myself, I don't like being reduced to a mere consumer.
> You're saying China doesn't protect and help their native industries? That's simply incorrect:
My point was they didn't not shut down their companies from foreign competition and that that's exactly what the EU commission is doing with these tariffs.
> What about the European worker and the European citizen? As a European myself, I don't like being reduced to a mere consumer.
European citizens would be fine given how much they like to import from china.
Given the popularity of temu and other apps in europe, I don't think the general public wants to be fleeced by domestic industries/retailer and pay 12E for wine opener from esselunga v/s 1.7E on temu.
As for the domestic workers and industries, they'll have to up their game and innovate to become efficient. It was embarrassing how bad VW's EV products were till a few years ago. Domestic industries can't just expect to hold consumers as captive and fleece them forever.
Yeah good riddance to self-reliance. When advocated for by Gandhi to enable Indian independence [1] it's enlightened and righteous. But when Europe wants it to avoid becoming a Chinese client state, it's "small-minded".
> European citizens would be fine given how much they like to import from china.
It's telling that your reply to my not wanting to reduce Europeans to mere consumers, does just that - saying they'll be fine because as consumers they'll be fine, ignoring all other considerations.
I think you were pointing out chinese strategy to force auto makers to make JV like SAIC Volkwagen[2].
While I'm not sure if that could work in west due to high cost of labour, regardless to me it seems the strategy behind these auto tariffs is to just shut chinese automakers out of the market at great harm to european consumer.
[1] https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3287079...
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAIC_Volkswagen