PARIS (Realist English). French President Emmanuel Macron has issued his strongest warning yet to Beijing, saying the European Union will be forced to take “strong measures” — including punitive tariffs inspired by U.S. policy — if China fails to address the deepening trade imbalance by 2026.
Speaking to Les Echos after returning from a diplomatic visit to China on Friday, Macron criticised Beijing for maintaining what he called an unsustainable surplus while continuing to restrict European imports. Such practices, he said, were “effectively killing their own customers.”
“I told them that if they do not react, we Europeans will be forced, in the next several months, to take strong measures and to de-cooperate, following the example of the United States — for instance, by imposing tariffs on Chinese products,” Macron said in remarks published Sunday.
The ultimatum goes beyond the concerns he voiced publicly during the trip and appears calibrated to increase pressure after private diplomatic outreach. Analysts say the French leader is signalling that the EU is prepared to act collectively if Beijing does not adjust course.
“The message is: we warned you, now the article is public, and we are preparing to act collectively if China does not respond to the call for ‘give-and-take’,” said Sacha Courtial, a China specialist at the Institut Jacques Delors think tank in Paris.
Macron’s comments come amid growing European anxiety over China’s export surge, particularly in electric vehicles, solar panels and industrial equipment — sectors where Brussels argues Beijing’s subsidies distort competition. The European Commission has already launched a series of investigations targeting Chinese industrial support.
