European Chamber Highlights Costs of China’s Technological Leadership Ambitions Go back »

2025-04-16 | All chapters

Beijing, 16^th April 2025 – The European Chamber today published its report Made in China 2025: The Cost of Technological Leadership, which details the experiences of European business in China over the 10-year period since the Made in China 2025 (MIC2025) plan was introduced.

The report finds that MIC2025’s implementation has coincided with significant progress in China’s advanced manufacturing capabilities, leading the country to become the world’s manufacturing superpower, surpassing the European Union (EU) in some key technologies.

However, the plan has also had a negative impact on the EU-China economic relationship, particularly with regard to industries that have experienced overcapacity and involution in China. This has in some cases led to a steep increase in exports of certain products from China that has in turn posed a threat to some European industries. The EU has repeatedly shown willingness to respond, taking trade defence actions against MIC2025’s most prominent successes—including electric vehicles, solar panels and telecommunications network equipment—in an attempt to mitigate distortions in the European market.

For European companies in China, MIC2025 has brought opportunities but not without some long-term consequences. Many have seen their prospects gradually shift from prosperity in segments in which China had previously lacked self-developed technology, to market access loss or even market exit when China has achieved or nearly achieved a high level of technological expertise.

MIC2025 has not been silver bullet for China’s self-reliance ambitions, with the country still lagging behind in several of the plan’s focus sectors despite extensive, often inefficient, support through subsidies. This—combined with fact that MIC2025 has led to both domestic economic challenges and global trade reactions in the sectors that it has achieved the most success in—makes the continuation of the same methods an extremely high-risk strategy.

‘New productive forces’ embodies many of the same core principles as MIC2025. However, its comparatively vaguer framework allows China the opportunity to optimise its self-reliance efforts to be more market driven so that European companies can continue competing in the country’s strategic sectors in the long term. Not only would this approach address many long-standing concerns of European companies, against the backdrop of the US-China trade war China actually stands to gain more by doing so.

“Today, China faces a choice between continuing Made in China 2025-style policies or taking a more targeted and sustainable approach to technological self-reliance that minimises negative externalities,” said Jens Eskelund, president of the European Chamber. “In the face of unprecedented challenges to the global trading system, the latter presents an opportunity for China to demonstrate to reliable partners, like the EU, that it is committed to fostering a long-term, mutually beneficial trade relationship and ensuring that its business environment provides the stability and predictability that investors require.” 

Download the report here.

中国欧盟商会指出中国实现技术领先的代价

       北京，2025年4月16日—中国欧盟商会今日发布《中国制造2025：实现技术领先的代价》。报告阐述了《中国制造2025》发布十年以来欧洲在华企业营商情况。

       报告指出，中国积极实施《中国制造2025》，先进制造业突飞猛进。中国由此成为世界制造大国，甚至在部分关键技术领域领先欧盟。

       然而，《中国制造2025》对中欧经济关系有一定负面影响，且对涉及产能过剩和内卷的行业影响尤为显著。这导致中国部分产品出口急剧增加，进而对相应欧洲行业造成冲击。欧盟持续积极响应，试图通过采用贸易防御工具减少欧洲市场扭曲。主要包括《中国制造2025》指导框架下成果显著的行业，比如电动汽车、太阳能电池板和电信网络设备。

      《中国制造2025》为在华欧企提供了机遇，但也导致了长期后果。诸多企业的发展前景发生转变：在中国缺乏自主研发科技的领域，部分企业一度蓬勃发展。但当中国已经或近乎实现高水平技术能力时，企业开始逐步丧失市场准入乃至退出市场。

      《中国制造2025》并非中国实现自力更生战略目标的灵丹妙药。尽管中国提供了广泛的补贴支持，但投入产出比欠佳，《中国制造2025》涉及到的部分行业仍处劣势。另外，《中国制造2025》中成果显著的行业则衍生出了国内经济的挑战和全球贸易反制等问题。若延用此类政策，风险极高。

       “新质生产力”与《中国制造2025》同根同源，但“新质生产力”的理论框架更为模糊。在此基础上，中国可以进一步优化自力更生政策，使其更具市场导向，从而让欧洲企业能够长期在中国战略领域保持其自有竞争力。这种战略不仅能解决欧企长期关注的诸多问题，在中美贸易摩擦的背景下，中国也能从中获益。

       中国欧盟商会主席彦辞表示：“中国如今面临两种选择：一是继续推行《中国制造 2025》式政策；二是采取更具针对性和可持续性的技术自主发展路径，以最大限度减少外部负面因素影响。在全球贸易体系面临巨大挑战之际，后者为中国提供了一个机会，使其能够向欧盟等可靠伙伴表明，中国致力于发展长期互利的贸易关系，并确保为其投资者提供稳定和可预见的商业环境。”

点击此处下载报告。

For more information please contact