In July 1812, the Secretary-General of the European Union, Bernadotte, issued a statement in Geneva, the headquarters of the European Union, saying that the European Union was seeking to conduct new comprehensive negotiations on trade with Datang in a collective and reciprocal capacity. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

As soon as the news came out, it shook the entire Tang Dynasty, and even Europe itself was shaken. For Europeans, the emergence of the EU as a collective embodies the fruits of European integration and strengthens their bargaining chips and international standing. For a long time, Europeans have felt that they have been exploited by Datang, they feel that the market is full of cheap products from Datang, Datang is forcing them to accept the existing trade exchange rate, and the value they have obtained through their hard work has been seized by Datang.

But the actual situation is far from the case, and almost everyone can't tell ordinary Europeans what kind of unequal treaties the Tang Dynasty signed with them. Because Datang did not sign any unilateral and self-interested trade terms and political terms with them. In terms of trade, when Datang signs trade treaties with various countries, it is basically the same tax rate, your tax rate is as low as 10%, and I am as low as 10%, if you dare to cancel tariffs, I also dare to cancel tariffs, and even in some categories, Datang still reduces its own import taxes in the form of concessions. But Europeans do not have this feeling, business owners and capitalists feel that they are too tired to compete with Datang goods, and I don't know how many European companies have closed down because they can't compete with Datang enterprises for so many years. I don't know how much Datang Capital occupies important industries in European countries, and even achieves a monopoly position.

There are also various similar voices in the mainstream media in Europe, how Datang bullies European countries, how it forces European countries to make concessions, and how it uses its own advantages to plunder the wealth of Europeans. Most of these media narratives are unsubstantiated or even fabricated, but they cater to the ideas of European governments and the tastes of European peoples, and thus become popular. In the past few years, criticizing Datang's hegemony and arrogance is almost a kind of political correctness, and there is no longer the superiority of advanced science and technology, civilized social management, and so on that when Datang was mentioned ten years ago, it was mentioned as advanced science and technology, civilized social management, and so on. After Europe achieved industrialization, it thought that it was not bad, so there was nothing to praise about these of Datang.

The shamelessness of Europeans is natural, as a government-backed French media outlet put it: "...... Considering the different levels of development between European countries and Datang, as well as the fact that Datang's economy is too large, we believe that fair competition should be fair competition on the basis of protecting domestic industries. There is no reason for a person weighing 200 kg and a person weighing 50 kg to lift an object of the same weight. Datang claims to foster the progress and civilization of human society, so it should truly aim to promote other countries, encourage and help other countries to develop their industries, transfer advanced technology to European countries free of charge or at low cost, and accept the reasonable tariff rates and other corresponding economic policies set by the European Union. ”

This editorial was subsequently reprinted in Datang, and Datang's own media basically commented on these four words -- brazen.

The Ministry of Commerce and Trade of Datang later said at a press conference that it would not agree to collective trade negotiations with the European Union, and that the trade treaties signed by Datang and European countries are in line with the spirit and purpose of the GATT, are mutually beneficial and have operational feasibility.

Just a week later, 10 European countries announced their withdrawal from the GATT and began to regulate their actions and legislation with the EU's own trade guidelines, raising their national tax rates to double or even triple the previous ones, and some even exceeded the price of goods by double or more, completely protectionist tariff rates.

Datang was so angry about this that Hu Fakui even wrote an article published in Datang Daily, in which he mentioned: "...... Such unethical and unprincipled behaviour by the European Union can only be repugnant. When it is beneficial to them, they uphold the rules; When they think they can get more, they throw out the rules. Datang will not allow this to happen and will seek to punish the European Union. ”

The joint withdrawal of European countries from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade led by Datang is actually a substantial challenge to Datang's trade system, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is even a declaration of war. The main reason for supporting them in doing so is also because the establishment of the European Union has enabled them to integrate various resources in the region relatively and learn from each other's strengths, changing from perfect competition to competition and cooperation, and working together to confront the Tang Dynasty.

European countries still need Datang's advanced technology transfer, but they have clearly noticed that Datang has not let go of any key technologies given to them in the past two or three years. So in essence, they are no longer afraid of Datang's technical sanctions. As for some commodities, Europe's more than 10 years of industrialization have not been done in vain, and the European Union is now basically capable of producing the vast majority of the goods they need. There may still be a small number of demand commodities such as oil, but the British have recently discovered a large amount of oil reserves along the coast of Scotland, so this problem has been solved. As for daily consumer goods such as tea, it is not related to the national plan, and if it is really broken, it will be broken.

If Datang assumes that it really stops exporting products to the EU, enterprises within the EU will usher in a wave of opportunities. A large number of markets previously occupied by Datang products will be filled, but the overseas markets they have lost are nothing, because although the Datang market is even larger, there is basically no room for their European goods, and the competitiveness of local goods is too strong, and basically no European companies have made any profits in Datang. In this way, squeezing out Datang's presence in the European market is conducive to the development of European enterprises.

After years of development and integration, the European Union has finally reached this point, and it dares to stand tall and speak in front of Datang. This is a clear ruffian's face, I just want to engage in trade protectionism, I just want to squeeze out foreign capital, I unite the strength, let you throw a mouse trap, and it seems that starting a war will cost a huge price, so you see that I am not happy, but you can't kill me, and when I continue to develop and catch up with you, then I will have more right to speak.

The European Union did not want to replace Datang's position, but wanted to form a bipolar pattern, at least not to succumb to Datang's rules and order. (To be continued.) )