Comment on China Holds a Kill Switch to European Power Grids
BrikoX@lemmy.zip 2 days ago
What EU should really do is accept the cheap solar panels from China but under their own terms. No remote access data, storage in EU only, and enforce EU legal jurisdiction for all disputes. China needs a market, they will accept those conditions. It would be huge win/win for both sides.
Moving away from cheap goods to protect non-existing industry doesn’t makes any sense, but that’s what corporate “centrism” gets you in the EU. Buy cheap while you build your own industry and then when you reach competitive state you can change the terms.
Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org 2 days ago
I respectfully disagree. It’s not that I say the EU should stop trading with China, but the bloc needs to re(!)-develop an own industry to gain a high level of independence. Europe already had a thriving renewable energy industry in the 2000s (and it decisively helped finance China’s industry). But I agree with your first statements about no remote storage and enforcing EU legal jurisdictions.
BrikoX@lemmy.zip 2 days ago
You don’t need to subsidize EU industry at the taxpayers expense to achieve economic independence. Refusing cheaper goods for arbitrary reasons just makes EU look stupid.
Look at France. Their whole country is built on sovereign independence in critical areas. They achieved it buy building their own industry, while taking take goods deals from other countries, not by refusing them and making their own people lives harder.
Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org 2 days ago
In this context we must consider also forced labour in China. We need also transparent supply chains, which is exactly what the Chinese government rejects. Any trade agreement without human rights clauses is useless imo.