Imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) because they are better than European cars is absolutely the wrong solution to the current trade conflict between Europe and China, said Erik Solheim, former UN Under-Secretary-General.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-nation EU, announced on October 29 that it had concluded its anti-subsidy investigation and decided to impose a definitive countervailing duty on imports of new battery EVs from China for a period of five years.
Solheim, who now serves as the co-chair of the Europe-Asia Center, said in an interview with China Media Group (CMG), that both sides should sit down and talk to find a solution to the current impasse.
"Absolutely putting tariffs on Chinese electric cars because they are superior, they're better than European cars, that's exactly the wrong solution. Protectionism - that’s a race to the bottom. So Europe and China should go into a dialogue to make sure that there is happiness on both sides. One solution can be China investing more and partnering more with European companies so that we can have more jobs in Europe. China should help making sure that European companies can be successful in the Chinese market, that's for sure. We should avoid tariffs when China now is the superior nation in basically all green production," said Solheim.
Solheim said imposing tariffs on imported Chinese EVs would hamper the EV industry in Europe, which relies heavily on Chinese components.
"I hope the European Union and China can find solutions to this, because I think deep down everyone accepts that trade barrier is the wrong thing. I still hope that tariffs on Chinese electric cars can be avoided. And look, also the European electric vehicles are running with Chinese batteries, so even a European vehicle with a Chinese battery is half Chinese. So we are so integrated. We should work together and find solutions which are win-win solutions, creating jobs both in Europe and in China - that will be much better for everyone," he said.
Putting tariffs on Chinese EVs is not the solution to trade impasse: former UN Under-Secretary-General
A new chapter has been opened in the decades-old campaign of fighting desertification in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as the 3,046-km green belt encircling the Taklimakan Desert in the region was completed on November 28, 2024.
The Taklimakan Desert, once known as the "sea of death," covers 337,600 square kilometers and its circumference measures 3,046 km, making it the largest desert in China and the second-largest drifting desert in the world.
It has taken more than 40 years to fully enclose the desert with a green belt. This incredible achievement is part of China's Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, the world's largest afforestation initiative. The program was launched in 1978 and is scheduled to be completed by 2050.
Xinjiang's commitment to fighting desertification did not waver following the green belt's completion. Instead, the region is continuing to expand and fortify the belt to achieve broader ecological management objectives.
Despite subzero temperatures and recent snowfall, the relentless work at the sand control site persists.
In Yutian County on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, workers are busy leveling a 530-hectare piece of sandy land for the forthcoming ecological conservation endeavors.
"It's been almost a month, and we'll work for another three or four days, and then we'll have leveled it out here," said a bulldozer driver working on-site.
In Luopu County also on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, workers are preparing red willow branches in nurseries for planting across more than 400 hectares of desert in the coming spring. Indigenous sand-fixing plants like sacsaoul and red willow are poised to assume important roles in fighting desertification the upcoming year.
The green belt surrounding the Taklimakan Desert not only emphasizes ecological conservation but also highlights economic progress. Through photovoltaic projects, the region is pioneering a novel ecological management strategy aimed at achieving dual objectives of environmental preservation and economic prosperity. This approach not only aids in fighting desertification, but also promises economic benefits, propelling sustainable development in the area.
Presently, the construction of a photovoltaic project within the Taklimakan Desert is busy underway, with workers installing solar panels. By spring, sand fixing plants like alfalfa and Chinese fountain grass will be planted below these panels, making the project a good example for the exploration of a new win-win model of ecological governance and economic development in Xinjiang.
Xinjiang opens new chapter in fighting desertification
