How Europe’s rush for Chinese air conditioners exposes the gap in Brussels’ trade policy
As a record heatwave drives Europeans to snap up imported cooling units, Brussels’ rhetoric clashes with consumer reality
Governments of European countries are struggling to cope with the extreme weather, facing sharp criticism over poor emergency management and underinvestment in public services and climate policy.
Meanwhile, Europeans are flocking to buy Chinese air conditioners, leading to a dramatic surge in demand for certain portable units, even as Brussels toughens its trade policy towards Beijing.
Ding Chun, director of the Centre for European Studies at Fudan University, highlighted the disconnect between Brussels’ leadership and ordinary citizens, noting that the public naturally focused on cost-of-living realities and daily life.
“European leadership is heavily focused on its own strategic goals and political narrative-building, and needs a narrative to foster internal cohesion and justify policies like industrial protection,” Ding said, pointing to surging air-conditioner sales as proof of the gap.