Dutch Think-Tank Urges EU to Ramp Up Trade Defenses Against China

The council, known as the WRR, argues that the global shift toward the politicization of economic relations requires a faster, more robust response from Brussels. While acknowledging recent EU efforts to bolster industrial innovation, chair Corien Prins cautioned in a letter to the Dutch government that failing to address distorted trade will ultimately erode European standards in privacy, labor conditions, and environmental protection.

Analysts behind the report point to persistently weak domestic demand within China as the primary driver behind the surge of cheap exports flooding international markets. The council maintains that without direct intervention and tougher controls, Europe risks squandering public investment while losing its competitive edge to state-subsidized manufacturing.