Rising trade protectionism in the West disturbing

The European Commission's decision to impose countervailing duties on Chinese-made electric vehicles is the latest protectionist move by Western economies which once championed free trade, but not anymore.

The punitive tariffs, starting on Thursday for a period of five years, are aimed at protecting the European Union's EV industry from Chinese competitors. But the fact that only 10 of the 27 EU member states voted in favor of imposing the tariffs in early October shows how unpopular the move is.

Many economists and trade experts have pointed out that government subsidies are not a major factor for the huge competitive edge China's EV industry enjoys. In fact, US and EU carmakers, from General Motors and Tesla to Volkswagen and Renault, have all benefited from China's EV industry boom.