Yes, it’s even weird that any country voted against protecting the bloc’s economy. Maybe Volkswagen and other German car makers wanted to have access to the Chinese market, although they will likely never be successful there anyway (it’s clear, at least, that no foreign company has ever had meaningful long-term success in Chinese markets, in neither industry). But that’s my guess, maybe I am wrong.
Yes, it’s even weird that any country voted against protecting the bloc’s economy. Maybe Volkswagen and other German car makers wanted to have access to the Chinese market, although they will likely never be successful there anyway (it’s clear, at least, that no foreign company has ever had meaningful long-term success in Chinese markets, in neither industry). But that’s my guess, maybe I am wrong.
Volkswagen was the top selling car brand in China for at least 15 years.
https://electrek.co/2024/01/23/byd-overtakes-vws-15-year-run-as-top-seller-in-china/