EU-China hybrid car deal offers only brief respite

Summary

The Financial Times says the EU’s hybrid car deal with Beijing eases tensions only briefly and argues Europe cannot rely on trade barriers to counter China. This follows earlier reports from the South China Morning Post that Europe was moving toward a tougher trade stance on China and EU leaders would urgently call for new trade tools to tackle the China shock.

Timeline

1. ft.com

   15 Oct 2026, 16:35 UTCSource ↗

   The Financial Times reports that the EU’s hybrid car deal with Beijing offers only brief relief from tensions and says Europe cannot rely on trade barriers to counter China.