China and the European Union are stepping up cooperation as the United States ramps up tariff pressure and global trade fragmentation deepens, signaling the shared commitment of China and the EU to openness, stability and mutual benefit in an increasingly uncertain world, experts said.
专家指出,在美国持续加码关税压力与全球贸易碎片化加剧的背景下,中国与欧盟正持续深化合作,这一动向彰显了双方在日益动荡的国际环境中坚守开放、稳定、互利原则的共同承诺。
Chinese investment in the EU surged 47 percent year-on-year to 10 billion euros ($11.4 billion) in 2024, marking its first significant rebound since 2016.
2024年中国对欧盟投资额同比增长47%, 达到100亿欧元(约合114亿美元),实现自2016年以来首次显著回升。
The growth, driven by record-high greenfield investment and a revival of mergers and acquisitions, reflects the enduring complementarities between the two sides, according to a joint report released on Wednesday by the New York-based Rhodium Group and German think tank Mercator Institute for China Studies. Greenfield investment is a type of foreign direct investment in which a parent company starts a business operation in a foreign country from scratch.
根据纽约荣鼎集团与德国墨卡托中国研究中心周三联合发布的报告,这一由创纪录的绿地投资和并购复苏驱动的增长,印证了中欧经济结构的持久互补性。报告特别说明,绿地投资作为外商直接投资模式,特指母公司在外国从零开始新建业务的投资行为。
Analysts said the momentum underscores the strategic importance of China-EU economic ties at a time when Washington's unilateral tariff hikes threaten to upend global supply chains. Strengthening cooperation in green energy, digital infrastructure and smart manufacturing will not only serve both sides' development interests, but also help safeguard the multilateral trading system, they added.
分析师表示,当前美国单边加征关税政策正威胁全球供应链稳定之际,中欧经贸往来升温态势凸显了双方经济关系的战略重要性。他们还表示,加强在绿色能源、数字基础设施和智能制造等领域的合作,不仅契合双方发展利益,更有助于维护多边贸易体系。
China's greenfield investment in Europe increased for the third year in a row and reached an all-time high of 5.9 billion euros, while merger and acquisition investment more than doubled in 2024 to 4.1 billion euro, according to the report.
中国在欧洲的绿地投资连续第三年增长,2024年达59亿欧元创历史新高,并购投资额同比翻番至41亿欧元。
Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology, or CATL, emerged as the leading investor in 2024, accounting for 16 percent of total investment, mostly from the ongoing construction of its battery plant in Hungary, the report said.
报告显示,中国电池巨头宁德时代(CATL)凭借匈牙利电池工厂的持续建设,以占总投资额16%的占比成为2024年主要投资方。
Ding Chun, director of Shanghai-based Fudan University's Centre for European Studies, said, "China and the EU possess expansive common ground and enormous potential for cooperation in green energy, smart manufacturing and artificial intelligence."
复旦大学欧洲研究中心主任丁纯表示:“中欧在绿色能源、智能制造和人工智能等领域拥有广阔合作空间与巨大发展潜力。”
As of the end of 2024, EU enterprises had cumulatively invested more than $150 billion in China, data from the Ministry of Commerce showed.
商务部数据显示,截至2024年底,欧盟企业累计对华投资超1500亿美元。
China and Europe should work together to safeguard the stability of the multilateral trading system and global industrial chains, rather than allowing trade disputes to spiral into broader geopolitical conflicts, Ding said.
丁纯指出,中欧应共同维护多边贸易体系和全球产业链稳定,避免让贸易争端升级为更广泛的地缘政治冲突。
Last month, China and the EU floated the idea of lifting the tariffs on Chinese EVs through possible commitments to minimum prices, known as price undertakings for imported cars.
上月,中欧双方就通过建立最低价格承诺机制(即进口汽车"价格承诺"制度)取消中国电动汽车关税展开可行性探讨。
A further increase in China's investment in Europe is possible in 2025, the report said, noting that EU-China ties could improve amid the US' new trade war.
报告认为,随着美国掀起新一轮贸易战,2025年中国对欧投资有望继续增长,中欧关系或将迎来改善契机。
Simon Lichtenberg, the All China founding chairman of the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China, told China Daily that Europe has recognized the problems arising from being overly dependent on the US in the past and is now seeking to cultivate a more independent stance and perspective.
中国丹麦商会创始全国主席李曦萌 (Simon Lichtenberg)向《中国日报》表示,欧洲已意识到过去过度依赖美国产生的问题,当前正着力培育更具独立性的立场与视角。
This shifting mindset presents an opportunity for stronger China-EU cooperation, as both sides seek to navigate the complex geopolitical landscape, Lichtenberg said.
他指出,这种思维转变为深化中欧合作提供机遇,双方可在复杂地缘政治格局中探寻共赢路径。
"China's manufacturing capability is truly outstanding, perhaps the best in the world," he said. "If we do not leverage it, we would be sacrificing a crucial part of the global value."
“中国制造业实力堪称卓越,或许堪称世界最佳。”他强调,“若不加以利用,我们将失去全球价值链中至关重要的一环。”
"Now more than ever, we need to uphold global trade," Lichtenberg added. "Together we are stronger, and we can all stand to win if we work together."
“当下比以往任何时候都更需维护全球贸易,”李曦萌强调,“团结使我们更加强大,通过合作,我们终将实现共赢。”
Yao Ling, director of the European Institute at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that with combined economic might accounting for over one-third of global GDP and trade volume exceeding one-fourth of global trade, China and the EU stand as important economic partners, presenting immense opportunities for each other's development.
商务部国际贸易经济合作研究院欧洲研究所所长姚铃表示,中欧经济总量占全球GDP三分之一以上,贸易额超全球贸易四分之一,作为重要经济伙伴为彼此发展提供巨大机遇。
In particular, the deepening of China-EU cooperation within the framework of the global trading system could help mitigate the disruptive impact of Washington's unilateral and erratic tariff policies, Yao added.
姚铃补充指出,特别是在全球贸易体系框架下深化中欧合作,将有助于缓解美国单边、反复无常加征关税政策所造成的破坏性影响。
price undertakings
价格承诺
greenfield investment
绿地投资
from scratch
从零开始; 从头做起
leverage
/ˈli:vərɪdʒ/
v.利用
smart manufacturing
智能制造