
Chinese business group urges fairness in EU tariff measures on EVs
During discussions with European policymakers on Tuesday and Wednesday, representatives from the CCCEU's automotive working group voiced concern that external political pressure could exert a "spillover effect" on EU policy decisions, potentially shifting the bloc's approach from "de-risking" to "decoupling" from China.
They expressed concerns that Chinese products might be labeled as "engaging in trade diversion," thus having to face restrictions in the European market, and that escalating EU-U.S. trade tensions could affect the stability of the European market.
The CCCEU representatives noted that the European Commission's decision to impose additional tariffs on Chinese-made EVs contradicts the EU's climate ambitions by restricting access to affordable zero-emission vehicles.
"Chinese EV companies offer competitive, clean transportation solutions and should be granted fair and equitable market access in Europe," the group said.
The group expressed hope that negotiations over EV price caps would lead to a mutually acceptable agreement, bringing greater certainty to bilateral and global trade.
In addition, the delegation raised concerns about increasing regulatory barriers facing Chinese investors, citing the EU's foreign subsidies regulation and foreign direct investment screening framework.
They called for more transparency and impartiality in the development of future legislation, including the upcoming EU automotive industry action plan.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Malaysia Sun
43 minutes ago
- Malaysia Sun
Supply chain expo highlights China's smarter auto ecosystem
BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Every few dozen seconds, a gleaming electric vehicle glides off an automated assembly line in China, where nimble robotic arms perform with ballet-like precision and AI systems orchestrate production with flawless efficiency. This scene may have once been limited to flashy demo clips, but it is now the new reality of China's booming auto industry. China, the world's largest automobile market, is moving into high gear. What's powering this transformation is stealing the spotlight at the ongoing third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE). "The EV industry in China in the last five years is probably the most surprising (development) to the world," said Jensen Huang, CEO of U.S. tech giant Nvidia, which supplies in-vehicle chips to Chinese EV makers including Xiaomi, Geely, XPeng and Li Auto, during an interview on the sidelines of the expo. In the first half of 2025, new-energy vehicle (NEV) production and sales surpassed 6.9 million units, up more than 40 percent year on year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). Exports soared 75.2 percent during the same period. Beyond the impressive statistics lies a deeper revolution. From AI-powered assembly lines and AI-supported driving experiences to a surge in cross-border collaboration, China's automotive sector is embracing a smarter and more interconnected future. "Leveraging the world's largest auto market, China has developed a dual engine of tech innovation and commercial scale," said Zhang Yejia of the CCID consulting under China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. "Electric, smart, and connected -- new ideas are validated faster here." Unlike traditional trade fairs that primarily focus on goods or services, CISCE introduces an innovative "chain-centric" model that emphasizes end-to-end industrial collaboration. This approach is especially pronounced in the automotive sector, renowned for its lengthy and complex supply chains. In the hall showcasing integration of the auto sector, upstream, midstream and downstream companies cluster in adjacent booths, visually demonstrating their interdependence. Even amid the array of products dazzling eager audiences and professional attendees, U.S. EV giant Tesla's Model Y still garnered much attention. This top seller in the competitive Chinese EV market exemplifies how global players are thriving in China's smarter, more dynamic auto ecosystem. Tesla has achieved a stunning 95 percent localization rate for the components of this model. At its iconic Shanghai Gigafactory, a completed vehicle rolls off the production line every 37 seconds. "China possesses the world's most complete EV industry chain," said Tao Lin, vice president of Tesla. "Supported by a vast talent pool, China's strong track record in EV development, advanced manufacturing and AI provides unparalleled support and opportunity. We will continue to deepen our investment here," Tao said. As of June 2025, Tesla has delivered more than 8 million electric vehicles globally, with nearly half of that production coming from its Shanghai Gigafactory. Just steps away from the U.S. EV maker's booth, a gleaming car body from Chinese automaker NIO draws attention -- not for its curves, but for the massive robotic arm hovering beside it. Suspended from the arm is a lightbox-like 3D deflection camera, which sweeps methodically across the painted surface. Within a minute, a digital 3D model of the vehicle, complete with highlighted paint flaws, appears on a nearby screen. The system, known as PaintPro, was developed by Changsha-based Speedbot Robotics and is already in use by several leading Chinese automakers. It fuses AI with 3D vision technology to detect surface defects as small as 0.15 millimeters, setting a new benchmark for precision in automotive quality control. "This fusion of AI and vision technology addresses a long-standing industry pain point," said Ge Junhui, an engineer with the company. "Automotive paints, prized for their high gloss, are notoriously difficult to inspect using traditional machine vision, which often falters under reflective surfaces." As a result, many manufacturers have long relied on manual inspections, a slow, labor-intensive process susceptible to inconsistencies. "Our solution helps automate one of the last strongholds of human-led quality assurance," Ge added. Meanwhile, an increasing number of automakers are bringing AI from behind the scenes to the center stage, turning its capabilities into standout features that consumers can see, feel and experience firsthand. One of the notable trendsetters is Guangzhou-based XPeng, which has laid a solid foundation for the AI revolution through its early deployment of AI across many product forms. "The next decade of the auto industry will be defined by the convergence of automobiles and AI," said He Xiaopeng, chairman and CEO of the automaker, earlier this year. At the company's booth at the third CISCE, the spotlight is on its newly launched G7 model, which features its self-developed Turing AI chips and an AR-HUD system co-developed with Huawei. According to the company, these advanced chips will enable the G7 to support Level 3 autonomous driving. The model also features an AI-supported chassis that scans road conditions 1,000 times per second and makes adaptive suspension adjustments, supporting early detection up to 200 meters ahead and lane-level bump perception and recording. "From intelligent driving and smart cockpit to flying vehicles and AI robots, we see each as a unique scenario powered by the same underlying tech stack," said He. "I believe AI and energy technology will distinguish us from competitors in the long run."


Malaysia Sun
43 minutes ago
- Malaysia Sun
AUSTRIA-VIENNA-IOMED RECEPTION
(250719) -- VIENNA, July 19, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Li Song, China's permanent representative to the UN and other international organizations in Vienna, speaks at a promotion reception for the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) in Vienna, Austria, July 18, 2025. The IOMed will serve as a leading intergovernmental organization to help settle international disputes through mediation, a Chinese envoy said Friday. (Xinhua/He Canling)


Herald Malaysia
2 hours ago
- Herald Malaysia
COMECE delegation makes ‘solidarity visit' to Ukraine
A delegation from the EU bishops' commission has returned to Brussels following a 'solidarity visit' to Ukraine. Jul 19, 2025 Bishop Crociata and Fr Barrios Prieto visit a Ukrainian military graveyard By Joseph TullochA delegation from the EU bishops' commission has returned to Brussels following a 'solidarity visit' to Ukraine. The goal of the trip, Bishop Mariano Crociata said, was to 'witness first-hand the wounds inflicted upon this land and its people by Russia's brutal war of aggression'. During the trip, the delegation, which was composed of three officials from the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), visited multiple charity projects and humanitarian organisations, attended the funeral of a soldier, and met with the heads of the country's Greek Catholic and Latin churches. Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, COMECE General Secretary, spoke to Vatican News about the visit. Q: Why did COMECE decide to make this trip to Ukraine? Since the beginning of the war, the Commission has been very close to Ukraine and its people. There have been many statements by the bishops condemning this war of aggression by the Russian Federation. We've made many calls for a just peace and for an end to the war. We've showed our closeness to Ukraine in many different ways. One important step is that we've invited representatives of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and of the Latin Church into our plenary assembly as observers. But also, from the beginning, we've wanted to go to Ukraine to give a sign of closeness to the people and the Church there, and hear from them what we can do to help them. The initial plan was an ecumenical trip together with the Conference of European Churches, but in the end that wasn't possible. So we wanted to at least meet with the Catholic Church in Ukraine, in the west of the country, and to experience what's happening there – to see the reality in the country with our eyes and touch it with our hands. Q: What did you see? Of the things you saw, what made the biggest impact? Many things. It was a short visit, but very intense. For example, we participated in the funeral of a Ukrainian soldier who had died at the front. It was very moving, because we were able to celebrate the funeral together with the Greek Catholic bishop, and the soldier's brother was there. We had a first-hand experience of what war means, the death and the suffering it causes. There were several injured soldiers at the funeral. We went to the military cemetery and saw how it's growing, saw the photographs of the young soldiers who've died. We also met with people that are helping veterans and war victims and their families. We met people and that were helping veterans and helping victims of the war and their families. There was also an American woman at the funeral who approached a soldier and told him 'Thank you for fighting for our freedom'. That really touched my heart. And finally, there was a moment when a soldier told us that he wasn't fighting just for Ukraine, but also for us, for the freedom of Europe, for democracy, and for international law. That was very powerful. Q: What is the Catholic Church doing to promote peace in Ukraine, both at the grassroots and at the European level? The Church is very, very active on the ground. It has centres to help veterans, widows, those suffering mental health problems due to the war, and it's doing a lot to promote reconciliation at an ecumenical level. I would also say that the Church's activity as Church is extremely important. For example, at the funeral of this soldier, the sermon was based on Jesus' words: 'Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.' It was an incredibly moving homily, spoken to the family of a soldier who gave his life for others, and I think it's an example of the way the Word of God can give us hope and console us in difficult moments. And then on a European level, as the Commission of Bishops Conferences of the European Union, I think we have the very important mission – as we were told when we were in Ukraine – of being witnesses to what we experienced there. We have the very important mission of advocating for a just end to this war, for peace, before the EU institutions. We have the mission of asking the EU to become a bit more active when it comes to promoting peace on an international level.--Vatican News