I would argue that China is just playing the game and EU should do too while it lasts. No time for sophistication in a street fight, this is not chess.
China has latitude in inflicting pain on its own people that the EU does not, and simply mirroring the US’s tariffs would impose significant pain and will not be the EU’s first choice. It may happen anyway, but it’s a harder decision for the EU than for China.
To me, really, the interesting thing is that _the US_ thinks it can do it. Given how annoyed the American public got about expensive eggs, I really question whether that is true; I don’t think people will sit back and go “cool, I can’t afford consumer goods now, and I’ve just lost my job, but it is all part of Dear Leader’s plan.” The idea, which Trump has actually vocalised, that the American public will tolerate pain seems totally at odds with, well, history.
