German Chancellor speaks out against EU tariffs on Chinese EVs

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday spoke out against the additional tariffs imposed by the European Union (EU) on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), underscoring that "protectionism and trade wars are detrimental to us."

Speaking at the opening of the new Mercedes-Benz battery recycling factory in Kuppenheim, a city in the southwestern German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Scholz noted that electrification is the future development trend of the auto industry, and that the EV technology is currently being developed all over the world.

He highly commented on China's excellent performance in the EV field, and reiterated Germany's opposition to imposing tariffs on electric cars imported from China.

"I have stated publicly and I would like to reaffirm hereby that I am against tariffs that would hurt ourselves. Protectionism and trade wars are detrimental to Germany. As an exporting country, we value open trade with the whole world. And that's why we don't need the best tariffs, but the best cars and the best technology," said Scholz in the speech.

On Oct 4, representatives from EU member states voted to approve the final ruling on the EU anti-subsidy case presented by the European Commission -- the executive arm of the 27-nation EU, which proposes the imposition of anti-subsidy duties on EVs imported from China.

After that, the German government and many German car companies expressed strong opposition to it. Scholz has repeatedly criticized publicly that erecting trade barriers does not keep European companies competitive.

German Chancellor speaks out against EU tariffs on Chinese EVs

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday arrived in Kazan, the capital city of Russia's Republic of Tatarstan, to attend the 16th BRICS Summit, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Xi is set to attend small- and large-group leaders' meetings and the BRICS Plus leaders' dialogue, and will deliver important speeches. Xi will also have in-depth exchanges with other state leaders on the current international situation, practical BRICS cooperation, the development of the BRICS mechanism and other important issues of common concern.

Xi's entourage, including Cai Qi, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and foreign minister, arrived on the same plane.

This summit, scheduled for Tuesday to Thursday, is the first to be held after the expansion of the BRICS organization earlier this year.

BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market cooperative mechanism that initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In January, it expanded its membership to include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Ethiopia.

More than 30 countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Venezuela and Kazakhstan, have also filed applications to join the BRICS organization.

Xi arrives in Russia's Kazan for 16th BRICS Summit