The plane has just landed in Paris, and Macron has warned that he does not rule out the possibility of the EU imposing taxes on China! But he also simultaneously calls for China to extend a helping hand to France.

Despite the fatigue from travel, Macron threw out a seemingly contradictory signal during an exclusive interview with Le Figaro: on one hand, he clearly warned that the EU 'does not rule out imposing tariffs on Chinese products'; on the other hand, he earnestly called for increased Chinese investment in France, 'to create value in Europe like European companies did when they entered China 25 years ago.'

Macron's concerns are not unfounded; just in the first half of 2025, due to the continuous lack of competitiveness in European manufacturing, China's trade surplus with the EU reached $143 billion, setting a historical high for the same period.

Macron believes this not only suffocates French manufacturing but also puts the entire European industrial system at risk of being 'hollowed out.' But the problem is that this is the result of European industry not being competitive, and it has nothing to do with China.

In addition, Macron hopes that China can help Europe reshape its industrial system. He proposed a concrete analogy: 'Chinese companies should set up factories, hire people, and pay taxes in Europe just like the French Electric Company and Airbus did when they entered China.'

But the crux of the issue is that China was proactive initially, growing robustly with the help of foreign investment. Now the entire Europe is in a state of despair, with no sign of the fighting spirit that the Chinese had back then; any help would be futile. Shouldn't Macron reflect on himself?