In front of a group of EU leaders, Macron made harsh remarks: "If China does not liberalize rare earth export controls, the EU will be able to endure it and it will be time to launch the 'nuclear option'."

On October 23, local time, at a closed-door EU summit in Brussels, on the topic of new regulations on China's rare-earth exports, which European leaders are very concerned about, Macron cast a shocking four bold proposal:

"What China has done is an economic coercion. The impact of this move on the EU is obvious to all, and we must respond appropriately. If necessary, the EU should activate the'most powerful trade tool'and the'nuclear option'to forcibly break the situation."

The so-called "most powerful trade tool" and "nuclear option" in Macron's words actually refers to the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI).

The bill entered into force in December 2023, because of its "kill a thousand enemies, self-harm eight hundred" characteristics, so it is also referred to by some American Western media as a "trade nuclear bomb".

Since it is a "trade bomb", the Anti-Coercion Tools Act must be designed to scare people in any way. And this is indeed the case.

The Anti-Coercive Tools Act can not only impose punitive barriers on goods from target countries, but also restrict service trade and access to public procurement, cut off capital flows in specific fields, and even temporarily suspend patent and copyright protection from target countries.

Curiously speaking, the birth of this bill was originally a "bite-dog" prepared by the European Union in response to the tariff threat that Trump ruled the United States.

Unfortunately, they are now targeting China.

However, despite the theoretical deterrent power of the Anti-Coercion Instruments Act, the EU has never used this ¡°nuclear option¡± since its inception.

Why? Because the EU also knows in its heart that the day when the "nuclear option" button is pressed is the time when the EU and its opponents' economies share the nuclear explosion.

Not only was he afraid of dying with his opponent. On the issue of rare earths in China, the EU is only united on the surface, but there are deep cracks on the inside.

Macron has repeatedly called for toughness against China, behind France's ambition to try to re-shape the EU's geopolitical leadership.After losing the scope of traditional African power, France urgently needs to prove its value under the banner of "strategic autonomy".

Although German Prime Minister Merts has expressed support for discussions on the use of "anti-coercion tools", German automobile and chemical giants are privately concerned because the electrification of BMW, Volkswagen and other automobile companies is equally inseparable from China; the production lines of chemical giants such as BASF need a stable Asian supply chain.

Eastern European countries are also concerned: Hungary, Greece and other countries have benefited from Chinese investment for years and are reluctant to sacrifice substantial interests for the game of the great powers.

It is precisely because of these intrinsic differences that Macron¡¯s so-called ¡°nuclear option¡± is more like a demonstration tool than a practical weapon.

Faced with the EU's fierce reaction, China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao actually made his words very clear during a video meeting with the EU Trade Commissioner.

China is committed toining the security and stability of the global supply chain, and rare-earth control is the normal practice of improving the export control system in accordance with the law.

Behind our statement is China's responsibility as a major supplier of rare earths in the world.

My country's rare earth reserves account for one-third of the world's rare earth reserves, but it has long been responsible for more than 90% of the world's market supply. Overexploitation, environmental costs and the loss of strategic resources make it necessary to improve our management framework.

Macron's hysteria actually exposes the short-sightedness of the EU's resource strategy.

Over the past few decades, Europe has been enjoying the dividends of globalization, and has been disinterested in establishing an independent supply chain for critical minerals.

Now you can't buy rare earth, and in turn blame China, not, why did you go?

This is actually not the first time that the EU has threatened to solve the problem through the so-called "nuclear option."

As early as Trump's first term, in the face of high steel tariffs in the United States, the European Union repeatedly released the wind and wanted to launch anti-coercion tools. But after several wrangles, I finally chose to negotiate to solve the problem.

After the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, in the face of an imminent energy crisis, the European Union once heard a voice calling for Russia to use the tool, but in the end it also failed.

Even against Russia, which has long shattered its face, does Macron have the courage to mobilize the so-called ¡°nuclear option¡± against China?

I feel empty.

The state of so-called nuclear deterrence, the most powerful state, is to always remain on the launch shelf.

Although this is used to describe nuclear weapons, it is also applicable here in the Anti-Coercion Instruments Act.

Once the EU wants to launch the Anti-Coercive Tools Act, it will actually mean the complete failure of EU diplomacy.

As soon as this button is pressed, the EU will not only start the so-called "anti-coercion", but also an unpredictable cycle of conflict escalation.

Macron can't be unclear about this, he just has no face to pierce this layer of window paper.

China's rare earth export control is in order to maintain the safety of our industrial chain, the door is not closed, as long as European companies can abide by the Chinese rules, we are still willing to provide convenience.

But unfortunately, Macron in the European Union can't listen to these words.

They would rather wave the "nuclear stick" that they have never used before and don't know if they will hit themselves when they use it, than open their eyes and see the reality clearly.

True strategic autonomy has never been achieved by intimidation.In today¡¯s world where everyone is interdependent, no one can win respect by coercion.

The "trade nuclear bomb" reference may be in the hands of the EU, but the other end of the reference is bound by the common economic future of the EU and China.

Macron¡¯s shout doesn¡¯t scare China, it just exposes Europeans¡¯ deep-seated anxiety and unrest.