Imposing provisional tariffs on imports of Chinese EVs will do no good to the development of European economy, according to a German expert.
The European Commission announced on Thursday its decision to impose provisional countervailing duties, ranging from 17.4 percent to 37.6 percent, on imports of battery electric vehicles from China starting Friday.
This has triggered wide opposition from many officials, industrial associations as well as auto enterprises.
In an interview with China Central Television (CCTV), Horst Lochel, professor of Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, believed that such tariff imposition is not good for Europe's economic development.
"We struggle here with the economic development. We are also struggling still with inflation. So if the prices are rising, we have even again higher inflation. So I don't think this is really a good development for the European economy overall. If China reacts also with higher tariffs on European products, then, of course, the prices for the Chinese people will also rise. That means the demand is declining. That means we have less production and less exports to China, which is also then challenging the profit of the companies," Lochel said.
He then pointed out that experts from German political, business and educational circles reckon that enhancing competitiveness is the right way for mutual benefit.
"Because we're already heavily invested in China, made a lot of joint venture with Chinese companies, and if we perhaps see also some investment of Chinese EV car companies here in Europe and Germany would be also fine. So the best way is to increase competitiveness. This is the sense of the market economy. If you are under pressure, you have to increase your competitiveness to get on the same level playing fields as your competitor. I think this is the most important thing to have a mutual beneficial trade," Lochel noted.
Imposing tariffs on Chinese EVs does no good to European economy: German expert
Imposing tariffs on Chinese EVs does no good to European economy: German expert
Imposing tariffs on Chinese EVs does no good to European economy: German expert
An increasing influx of elderly overseas travelers now choose to spend some of their post-retirement time traveling in China as the country keeps improving its visa policies and tourism services.
With more elderly travelers coming to China from abroad, the country's inbound tourism market has experienced significant growth. In the first seven months of this year, the country received about six million visits from foreign travelers, marking an over-400-percent increase year on year, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China.
Six Dutch tourists recently visited Xi'an City in northwest China's Shaanxi Province to see the terracotta warriors at the site of Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum.
They are all above the age of 60 and most of them came to China for the very first time. Wilco Poppeliers, one of the travelers, said he has long been expecting this travel and he could only make it after his retirement.
"I think it was very [much] on my bucket list still to visit China. Now I'm retired, I have the time to travel to visit places like this," he said.
For elderly couples from Mongolia, Chinese destinations also maintained strong attraction. Altogether 12 of them have an average age of about 60, with the oldest already 88.
"China is just next to Mongolia. I have visited many places in China like Wutaishan, Zhangjiajie, Hohhot, and Beijing. China has been developing very fast," said one of the tourists.
Along the Lijiang River, famous for its karst landscapes, some 30 overseas tourists recently visited the riverside Moya cliff sculptures and inscription.
The elders said they have been traveling around China before arriving at the cliff site in the southern city of Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
"We have traveled around the country and visited a wide range of cities. The travels were very smooth and convenient," said Marcia Akemi Fujinami, a visitor from Brazil.
The rich cultural heritage is what attracts him to China, said Fabrizio, an Italian tourist, adding that visiting the country has been easier as now there are many flights between Europe and China.
"Traveling to China is nowadays quite simple. There are a lot of flights coming from Europe. China is one of the countries with the largest number of UNESCO heritage places in the world. So we are very happy about visiting this country," he said.
China has been promoting inbound travels by accelerating the resumption of flights and improving tourism services for travelers from abroad. Scenic spots across the country have also been facilitating visits for international tourists while enhancing the quality of their products.
With improved visa policies, customs clearance policies, and more payment options, including cash payment, QR code and bank cards, overseas visitors can now enter and enjoy better services in China.
China sees increasing elderly overseas tourists following improved policies, services
