The Belgian Prime Minister's letter is undermining the EU.

According to European media reports, Belgian Prime Minister De Croo recently wrote to European Commission President von der Leyen, claiming that China is “destroying our economy” and calling for a discussion on “taking tougher countermeasures against China” at the EU summit in April. These radical remarks are surprising. Not only is the so-called “China Shock” theory they promote factually incorrect, but the response proposals in the letter are also setting a trap for the EU.

In the letter, De Croo claims that China is implementing low-cost export strategies in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and ecological transformation, with related exports increasing by 20% in a year, stating, “We have reached an irreversible critical point.” This narrative equating trade deficits with “Europe losing out” has some representation in Europe and can be misleading to some.

Belgian Prime Minister De Croo (Photo: Visual China)

About 50% of China-EU trade consists of intermediate goods. Through trade with China, European companies have significantly reduced production costs and earned more profits. In reality, this is “surplus in China, profits in Europe.” Take Belgium as an example: its port of Antwerp, a major European hub, imports large quantities of batteries, automobiles, and other products from China, then re-exports them to other EU countries. Recently, a direct route from Wuxi Jiangyin Port in China to Antwerp was launched, enabling high-quality “Made in China” products to directly reach Western Europe. Having served as mayor of Antwerp for many years, De Croo should be well aware of whether Belgium is truly “losing out.”

Belgium was one of the earliest Western developed countries to actively welcome China’s reform and opening-up policy and invest in China. Companies like Solvay, Bekaert, Barco, and earlier Johnson & Johnson have contributed to China’s development and reaped substantial rewards. The Volvo Ghent factory, COSCO’s Zeebrugge terminal, and the Liège Cainiao smart logistics center have expanded space for win-win cooperation between China and Belgium, creating numerous local jobs and enhancing Belgium’s competitiveness in manufacturing and logistics. The trade volume between China and Belgium is projected to grow nearly 2,000 times from the early days of diplomatic relations in 2024, exemplifying the complementary advantages and mutual benefits of China and Europe.

In fact, De Croo’s statements show a stark contrast. Last summer, he praised the long-standing China-Belgium relationship, emphasizing Belgium’s role as a gateway in EU-China cooperation, and advocated for increased engagement and mutual trust. Just over half a year later, he first made headlines at Davos by claiming “everyone wants to join the EU, but no one wants to join China,” and more recently, he further depicted China as “destroying Europe’s economy.” Some analysts believe that since De Croo took office over a year ago, he has faced internal pressures, and criticizing “China’s increased exports” serves as an internal distraction and a way to boost Brussels’ influence within the EU.

Many of the pressures Europe faces today are rooted not in China but in its own long-standing structural problems: weak economic growth, high energy costs, insufficient industrial investment, sluggish innovation, slow policy coordination, and a heavily constrained internal market. In other words, Europe should first focus on “how to fix itself,” rather than relying solely on a slogan of “countering China” to solve competitiveness issues. Conversely, portraying China as the scapegoat for Europe’s difficulties only masks the internal issues that Europe should confront and resolve. Blaming China’s “control” over the supply chain for impacts on Europe’s industrial base, economic competitiveness, and rising supply chain anxieties is itself an externalized form of political laziness.

De Croo’s remarks also reveal some European politicians’ misconceptions about China, their deliberate devaluation of non-Western economic and social development models, their inability to face Europe’s decline, and their adherence to “Eurocentrism.” They see the EU as a litmus test of Western civilization. They are self-absorbed in Europe’s soft power, including normative influence, a unified market, development dividends, and interest alliances, and believe “the EU is attractive to many countries, unlike China and the US.” However, this perspective ignores the essence of international relations—equality, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation are the foundation of relations between nations, not forming alliances or coercive bundling.

We see De Croo’s remarks on China more as political posturing than well-considered conclusions. In 2025, bilateral trade between China and Belgium is expected to reach $40.37 billion, a 3% increase, and this mutually beneficial cooperation is something the Belgian Prime Minister cannot ignore. When he promotes the “China Shock” theory, Chinese exports are continuously arriving in Europe via cargo flights through Liège Airport, and Antwerp has become a busy logistics hub on the Belt and Road Initiative. We advise De Croo and others to abandon prejudice and outdated rhetoric when commenting on China, and instead adopt strategic clarity and honest policies—think carefully before acting. (This article is an editorial from Global Times)

Editor: Wang Dan

Proofreader: Zhang Liyuan

Reviewer: Zhang Xiaoya