Belgian PM De Wever Leads EU Pushback Against Chinese Trade Practices
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has emerged as one of the most vocal European leaders demanding a hardened EU stance against China, warning that European economies are being “destroyed” by unfair trade practices. His campaign — which escalated with public remarks in Brussels on June 9 and a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in March — signals a significant hardening of sentiment within the EU toward Beijing’s economic policies.
Context: A Growing Trade Imbalance
At the heart of De Wever’s concerns is a rapidly widening trade gap. According to Belga News Agency, the EU’s trade deficit with China rose to €360 billion in 2025, a figure cited by Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot. De Wever has pointed to early 2026 data showing a 20% surge in Chinese exports compared to the previous year, particularly in strategic sectors tied to the green transition, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
An OECD report cited by Belga found that Chinese companies in key industries received up to eight times more state support than international rivals between 2005 and 2024, underscoring the scale of the competitive imbalance European industries face.
De Wever’s Escalating Campaign
Speaking at a Brussels event hosted by Friends of Europe and the Jacques Delors Institute on June 9, De Wever called on European leaders to develop a coherent strategy against what he described as “China’s drive for economic domination.” As reported by Belga, he warned: “That’s all very well, but we do take a lot of initiatives. It is time to adopt a strategy. China does not take a lot of initiatives. These people have a strategy. And a strategy is going to eat our initiatives for breakfast.”
De Wever also criticized EU leaders for what he called timidity in confronting Beijing directly. He noted that the agenda for the June 18-19 EU summit had labeled discussions on China as “geo-economic imbalances” rather than naming the country outright. “They have called it geo-economic imbalances, just not to name China by name, because we are so afraid that we don’t even dare to do that,” he said.
In his March letter to von der Leyen, De Wever struck an urgent tone, writing: “We have reached a point of no return where we must make difficult choices in the short term to protect our industry, economy and the wellbeing of our citizens in the long term.”
Internal Divisions: Hawks vs. Doves
The story reveals significant fractures within both the EU and the Belgian government itself. While De Wever takes a hard line, French President Emmanuel Macron was reportedly seeking to include China in coordination efforts ahead of the G7 summit held June 15-17 in France — a move that drew disappointment from the Belgian PM.
Even within Belgium’s coalition government, there is divergence. Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has advocated a more nuanced approach, telling reporters during a visit to Shanghai in April that “Belgium and the EU must embrace partnerships with China in order to deal intelligently with competition from the country.” Prévot visited the Belgian chemical company Syensqo in Shanghai, where he acknowledged both the competitive challenges and the opportunities presented by the Chinese market.
China’s Response: Accusations of Hypocrisy
Chinese state media has pushed back forcefully. The Global Times quoted Jiang Feng, a researcher at Shanghai International Studies University, who accused Belgium of acting “inconsistently and self-contradictorily by opposing trade barriers while pushing for measures against China, which fully shows its lack of strategic composure.”
In a separate editorial, the Global Times accused De Wever of staging a “drama of victimhood,” arguing that what he truly fears is the possibility that the EU summit does not “mention China.” The editorial noted that 68% of EU Chamber of Commerce respondents said they were maintaining or expanding operations in China, suggesting that business realities contradict political posturing.
Analysis: What’s at Stake
De Wever’s push comes at a pivotal moment for EU-China relations. The bloc has long defined China through a “tripartite approach” — as a partner, economic competitor, and systemic rival — but hawks like De Wever argue this framework is outdated. Belgium holds the rotating EU Council presidency in the first half of 2026, giving De Wever unusual influence over the bloc’s agenda.
The stakes are considerable. A hardening of EU trade defenses could trigger retaliatory measures from Beijing, potentially disrupting supply chains in sectors from green technology to pharmaceuticals. Yet failure to act, De Wever warns, risks the continued erosion of Europe’s industrial base.
What to Watch For
The June 18-19 EU summit in Brussels was expected to produce stronger language on trade imbalances, though the extent of concrete measures remains unclear. Key questions include how Germany — with its strong automotive exports to China — will position itself, and whether the EU will deploy trade defense instruments such as anti-subsidy investigations or tariffs. The internal Belgian coalition dynamic between De Wever’s hawkish stance and Prévot’s engagement-oriented approach will also bear watching as Europe navigates its most consequential trade relationship.