Manfred Weber, head of the European People's Party (EPP) in the European Parliament and a senior member of Germany's Christian Social Union (CSU), urged the European Union to adopt a tougher trade policy toward China in an interview published today [1, 2].
Weber warned that China’s industrial strength threatens parts of Europe’s industrial base and high-quality jobs. "我们要么进行自卫，要么中国就会摧毁我们工业体系中的部分领域," he said, meaning Europe must defend itself or risk losing key industrial sectors [3].
He highlighted the EU’s daily trade deficit with China approaching €1 billion (about US$1.15 billion) as unsustainable and called for a clear change in approach [1, 2]. Weber stated, "The time of naivety is over. We must defend European interests more clearly, more firmly and consistently" [1].
Among Weber's proposals, the EU should leverage China’s access to the single market to enforce fair competition and compliance with EU standards. He also called to exclude Chinese companies from EU-funded overseas development projects and from Europe’s efforts to develop 6G telecommunications technology [s1–s5].
These remarks come ahead of an EU summit scheduled for June 18, 2026, where leaders are expected to discuss protective trade measures, including potential tariffs against China [s1–s5]. The summit will address how to shield Europe's industrial base and jobs from Chinese competition.
Weber's intervention intensifies debate within EU circles about balancing economic engagement with China against protecting strategic industries. The upcoming summit will provide the next formal setting for EU leaders to consider concrete trade policies.
