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China-made EVs win a growing number of European consumers, despite EU’s levying unfair tariffs_我的网站
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As heavy rain associated with Typhoon Dolphin continued to affect large parts of China, an increasing number of people were turning to immersive disaster simulations to experience extreme weather scenarios in a controlled environment at the Lvxing Disaster Simulation Training Center in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province.
At the country's first natural disaster simulation venue, adult participants pay 899 yuan ($133) per person to virtually confront situations such as typhoons, urban flooding and sudden flash floods, to gain a sense of what such emergencies might feel like.
Wang Kuanghan, operator of the training center, told the Global Times that the center is designed to allow people to experience the dangers of natural disasters in a safe and controlled environment, while raising awareness of the need to respect nature and avoid potential risks.
"We hope to pass on the experience we gained from encountering natural disasters during our years of traveling around the world," Wang said. "Beyond teaching people how to respond when natural disasters strike, what is more important is cultivating an awareness of how to avoid risks."
As of July, the center had received more than 70,000 visits this year for hands-on experiences, including tourists as well as companies and professional rescue teams that come for training. The number is higher than the same period in 2025, he noted.
Fu Minya, a Hangzhou-based office worker, told the Global Times that she has heard of the center and would like to give it a try.
"The frequent news reports of natural disasters in recent weeks have reminded people of how small and vulnerable we are in the face of nature's forces," she said.
After Typhoon Dolphin made landfall in China in early August, its remnant impact brought downpours to several provinces. Chinese authorities previously earmarked 80 million yuan to support flood and geological disaster relief efforts in the Central China's Henan and Hubei provinces and East China's Anhui Province, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The flash flood simulation is one of the most intense experiences the center offers. Participants stand in a simulated river channel as an instructor presses a button, releasing around 500 tons of water from above. Within just three seconds, many participants are knocked off their feet, left tumbling in the rushing water and being swept toward the protective wall at the end of the channel.
"Real flash floods move even faster," said Wang. "When the water rises above knee level, it is almost impossible for an adult to remain standing. Many people instinctively think they should swim to escape, but that can be fatal."
Flash floods carry mud, branches and rocks that can quickly entangle your arms and legs. The right thing to do is to watch for warning signs of an impending flash flood, move away from the riverbank before the flash flood occurs, and quickly evacuate to higher ground on either side, he said.
In another exercise, several participants slog ahead holding each other's arms as the facility simulates winds reaching speeds of up to 165 kilometers per hour, as well as torrential rain.
However, there are concerns that simulated disasters could trivialize the suffering of disaster victims and turn the trauma of real-life disasters into entertainment.
This is a promising new niche in urban cultural tourism, Yu Jinlong, a Beijing-based cultural scholar, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
By striking the right balance between entertainment and public education while strictly adhering to safety protocols, such facilities can become more than just viral check-in destinations; they can serve as a replicable platform for public emergency education, Yu noted.
In the past, disaster-prevention education largely relied on display boards and lectures, which often made it difficult for people to develop an intuitive understanding of the dangers involved, Yu said.
Real-life simulations, by contrast, allow participants to experience firsthand the destructive force of typhoons and flash floods, turning abstract knowledge into tangible memories. This is where such facilities can offer unique social value, making them particularly suitable for educational programs for young people and emergency-response training for businesses and institutions, he said.
The experience can be impactful, but it should not be reduced to a sensationalist spectacle. Only by combining immersive experiences with practical self-rescue training and maintaining strict safety standards can this emerging model continue to serve as a meaningful platform for public disaster-prevention education, Yu noted.
Statistics show that 95 percent of people rescued from natural disasters survive through self-rescue, Wang said. "If you are swept away by water or hit by strong winds here, you will develop a much deeper understanding of how to respond to hazards and protect yourself."
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China-made electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for 14.2 percent of European market sales in the first five months of 2026 despite the EU's steep tariffs. The growth showed that trade‑protectionist barriers can only serve as short‑lived obstacles, as consumers' purchasing choice ultimately hinges on product competitiveness and China's EV strengths will support the automakers' long‑term growth, Chinese experts said.
The market share of electric cars sold by Chinese companies rose to 14.2 percent in European market in the first five months of this year, according to Schmidt Automotive Research. The 171,800 EVs sold there represented an increase in market share of five percentage points from one year earlier, the Guardian reported on Sunday.
The increase in European sales comes despite EU tariffs of up to 35.3 percent for EVs made by some Chinese manufacturers, on top of the standard 10-percent import duty. The UK is the largest European market for Chinese cars because London has declined to follow the EU's lead in imposing more levies. The UK accounted for a quarter of Chinese EV sales in Europe, according to the report.
Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, told the Global Times on Monday that the surge showed trade protectionist policies have failed to contain Chinese automakers' overseas expansion.
Chinese EVs enjoy "a generational edge" over Europe's legacy carmakers. Their overall product strength remains the primary reason behind their popularity among European buyers, Cui said.
Meanwhile, fluctuating global oil prices have pushed up driving costs throughout Europe, fueling demand for affordable electric vehicles, a need well‑met by the affordable Chinese‑made models. Meanwhile, the gradual return of European electric‑vehicle purchase subsidies has lowered purchase barriers and lifted total EV sales, which has in turn worked to the advantage of Chinese exporters, Cui Dongshu said.
Chinese brands expanded their market share in Europe in the first half of 2026 driven by local subsidies and higher oil prices, Fitch Ratings said in a report sent to the Global Times.
The combined market share of leading Chinese brands in the EU, European Free Trade Association and UK rose to 11 percent in the first half of this year, up from 7 percent in the first half of 2025. The largest Chinese players, Geely Group (including Volvo Car) and SAIC Motor, expanded steadily despite the tariffs. The main drivers of market share gains were BYD, Chery and Leap Motor, according to Fitch Ratings.
Cui Dongshu noted that China's EV edge comes from its full‑fledged industrial ecosystem.
Officials from China's Ministry of Commerce told a press conference on July 28 that China boasts a complete, high‑efficiency EV industrial chain covering raw materials, auto parts, finished cars and production equipment, with industry clusters enabling rapid component supplies. China's huge market, the world's largest, has fueled 11 consecutive years of EV sales.
"Protectionism can only put up short‑term entry barriers. It cannot erase the solid strengths of Chinese EVs or stop Chinese brands from establishing a lasting foothold in Europe," Cui Dongshu said.
Yet, geopolitical risks remain as the EU reportedly considers expanding tariffs to restrict Chinese plug-in hybrid EVs.
German media Handelsblatt reported on June 19 that the EU is drawing up new measures to shield its single market more tightly against Chinese imports in the near future, citing senior EU officials and industry insiders. Specifically, the plan could contain countervailing duties to be levied on Chinese‑made plug‑in hybrids.
The rising market share of Chinese‑brand EVs amid EU tariffs has demonstrated that trade barriers cannot distort market choices. If the EU carries out its planned countervailing duties on Chinese plug‑in hybrids, the measure will yield only limited results, Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday.
Europe's problems stem from weak competitiveness and flawed energy policies. The EU ought to cast aside its confrontational mindset, remove unfair restrictions and pursue consultations and cooperation with China. Shifting industrial‑sector conflicts outward cannot remedy the weaknesses of its EV sector and will only damage the EU's reputation for destroying free trade, Cui Hongjian said.
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