Xi stresses dialogue in China-EU trade disputes in meetings with Scholz, Macron

RIO DE JANEIRO -- President Xi Jinping on Tuesday asked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to help resolve the issue of the EU's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The EU's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles are drawing attention around the world, and China always insists on resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, Xi said.

It is hoped that Germany will continue to play an important role in this regard, Xi said, noting China regards Europe as an important pole in a multi-polar world.

The two leaders' meeting took place on the second day of the G20 summit, where Xi had called for building a world economy characterized by cooperation, stability, openness, innovation and eco-friendliness.

It is important to keep in mind that mankind lives in a community with a shared future, Xi said at the summit on Monday, adding that G20 members should see each other's development as opportunities rather than challenges, and view each other as partners rather than rivals.

During a separate meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, Xi said that China and France, as major countries, share common responsibilities to lead the international community to unite in efforts to address global challenges at a time when many new changes are unfolding in the international landscape.

Macron said that France upholds strategic autonomy and is willing to engage in dialogue and cooperation with China in the spirit of mutual respect, properly handle economic and trade disputes, and maintain a sound and steady development of bilateral economic and trade relations.

Despite strong opposition from several member states, the European Commission has finalized its decision to levy tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, a misguided trade protectionist measure hurting many but benefiting no one.

A Bloomberg opinion piece described the decision as "a misstep that one must hope will give way to mutually beneficial negotiation, not launch a trade war that leaves both sides worse off." European automotive giants such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz oppose the tariff plan.

As observers have warned, these tariffs will weaken the competitiveness of the European industry in the long term. Hildegard Mueller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry, dismissed the EU's move as "a step backwards for global free trade and thus for prosperity, job security and growth in Europe."

Meanwhile, Britain has distanced itself from the EU's decision, with British Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds ruling out any plans to impose similar tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports.

Reynolds said that as there had not been any complaints from Britain's automotive industry to the Trade Remedies Authority, he would not seek to follow the EU in pursuing tariffs.

During talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, Xi said that China and Britain enjoy vast space for cooperation.

Brazil is the second stop of Xi's Latin America tour, which has taken him to Peru. In Lima, he kept to a tight schedule, attending the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, paying a state visit to Peru and holding a series of bilateral meetings, including one with his US counterpart, Joe Biden.

In Brasilia, Xi is set to discuss bilateral relations with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as China and Brazil mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

Strong headwinds from Europe notwithstanding, leading Chinese EV makers have been gathering steam in Latin America. Build Your Dreams (BYD), a Chinese EV giant, doubled its overseas sales in the first nine months of the year, with remarkable performance in Brazil, to a point, offsetting setbacks in Europe.

Alexandre Baldy, vice president of BYD Brazil, told Xinhua that nearly 80,000 BYD cars, affordable, high-tech vehicles for Brazilians, are now on the country's roads.

During her visit to China in June, Peruvian President Dina Boluarte voiced hope for a BYD assembly plant in Peru, as the country plans to build a brand-new public transport fleet of electric vehicles in the next three to four years.

"China and Latin America, in a sense, are complementary economies. We need capital, technology, markets and China has that," said Carlos Aquino, director of the Center for Asian Studies at Peru's National University of San Marcos. "We can learn from China's experience."