CGTN poll: It's U.S. protectionism, not China's production capacity, that's excessive

The United States' accusations of China regarding so-called "overcapacity" continue to spark heated discussions in international public opinion. A survey launched for global netizens by CGTN shows that 91.49 percent of respondents believe that the accusations made by the U.S. are fundamentally groundless.

The overlying problem is not China's production capacity but the deeply entrenched "protectionism" of the United States. One respondent stated, "The most prominent characteristic of the U.S. is that everything is done for its own interests."

The notion of "overcapacity" is a typical fallacy, with the biggest logical flaw being the interchange of the concepts of "product exports" and "overcapacity."

The U.S. holds a significant position in the global market, with 48 percent of the market share in semiconductor exports, 42 percent in weapons exports and 10 percent in agricultural exports. Additionally, in sectors such as large aircraft and their components, petroleum and natural gas, and pharmaceuticals, the U.S. occupies crucial positions in the global market. In the survey, 91.49 percent of global respondents believe that exporting more products does not imply overcapacity. The notion of "overcapacity" is simply not worth refuting.

When the U.S. has a competitive advantage, it emphasizes free trade; when it doesn't, it accuses other countries of overcapacity. This "double standard" approach fails to gain trust in the international community. In the survey, 94.66 percent of global respondents strongly condemned this, criticizing the actions of the U.S. as blatant protectionism. A netizen expressed deep disappointment, stating, "(The) U.S. has always been known for its double standards, and the whole world knows it."

According to the United States Inflation Reduction Act, consumers can receive up to $3,750 in subsidies for purchasing clean energy vehicles. Regarding this, 56.83 percent of global respondents believe that the U.S. accusations of other countries subsidizing their domestic new energy industries are baseless. Instead, they argue that the U.S. is engaging in "green protectionism" by heavily subsidizing its own industries.

According to an analysis by the International Energy Agency, without clean energy technology, the increase in global carbon dioxide emissions over the past five years would have been three times higher than it is now. A total of 84.85 percent of respondents agreed that their countries should accelerate the development of green industries. Based on historical carbon emissions shares, the U.S. should provide $39.9 billion in climate aid annually. However, in 2020, it only provided $7.6 billion, the lowest contribution among 23 relevant developed countries.

Respondents totaling 85.73 percent expressed disappointment with the U.S.'s actions, while 82.83 percent noted that the United States still has great scope and responsibility for green industry transformation.

From 2021 to 2022, renewable energy sources such as hydro, wind and solar power accounted for 20 percent of total electricity generation in the U.S. By 2020, China contributed about 60 percent of the world's new energy generation capacity from new sources such as solar photovoltaic, wind and electric vehicles. According to the survey, 88.33 percent of respondents affirmed China's efforts to reduce green emissions. In addition, 92.02 percent of respondents believe that the U.S. should learn from China and increase its investment in green emissions reduction.

A netizen stated, "China's progress in energy innovation is admirable, especially in the effective reduction of pollution through the use of clean energy such as solar power."

The poll was released on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms, with over 6,848 people voting within 24 hours.