欧盟各主要经济体正为与中国发生贸易冲突做准备，其背后原因是各方对双边贸易失衡现象愈发不满，政界人士认为这种失衡正在严重损害欧盟的工业体系。在各国领导人峰会召开前夕，法德两国联合致信，呼吁布鲁塞尔出台相关政策，以便迅速切断那些被认定为具有危害性的国家与欧盟企业及消费者的联系。虽然法德两国并未直接提及中国，但其所指责的“系统性市场扭曲行为”显然指向中国。
The EU’s biggest economies geared up for a clash with China, fueled by growing frustration with a bilateral trade imbalance that politicians contend is hollowing out the bloc’s industries. In a joint letter ahead of a summit of national leaders, France and Germany called for Brussels to enact proposals that allow for countries deemed harmful to be immediately cut off from accessing the bloc’s businesses and consumers; Paris and Berlin did not explicitly reference Beijing, but their complaints of “systemic market-distorting practices” made clear whom they had in mind.
与此同时，欧洲各大企业正面临大规模裁员——大众汽车计划裁减10万名员工——专家警告称，这种情况可能引发政治动荡。— 普拉尚特·拉奥
The urgency of their push comes as major European companies undergo huge job losses — Volkswagen plans to cut 100,000 workers — which experts have said could drive political upheaval. — Prashant Rao