What happened in China On 12 February 2026, China's commerce ministry shifted its position on a question that had quietly defined the EU-China EV standoff: who sits across the table from Brussels. Beijing signalled that it would accept Chinese electric vehicle makers negotiating independently with the European Union, rather than requiring a unified, state-coordinated approach. The catalyst was telling. Major Chinese automakers began eyeing their own EU tariff talks after Volkswagen secured a breakthrough: the European Commission approved a request by Volkswagen's Cupra brand to exempt its China-made Tavascan SUV coupe from EU EV tariffs. Once that door opened — even for a European brand manufacturing in China — other players moved quickly. BYD, SAIC, and others started signalling their interest in pursuing bilateral concessions of their own. Beijing's willingness to let this happen represents a strategic pivot. In an earlier phase of the dispute, the expectation was that…