Europe has destroyed it's own car making industry. Extreme taxation, self-exclusion from usage of reasonably priced resources among things that buried it. While at the same time chinese focused on making their cars better. It's as simple as that.

Now there is no way to stop chinese cars from penetrating markets. Tariffs will just buy some time. Eventually noone will buy expensive and crappy european cars.

It's a sad conclusion for someone who dislike chinese cars and been benz user for few decades. My next car won't be benz and i fear it may be chinese huawei, as the current one spends more time in workshop while being a shadow of technological and design marvel .

China (and every other developed country for that matter) achieved its status by protecting their industries. And call it small-minded if you like, but when you're competing with someone taking full advantage of in-group preference (i.e. playing like a team), if you play solo, you will lose, miserably. Unite or die.