Who would still start a business seriously after being reborn?

Chapter 666 Washington's Arrogance
Now EU officials have finally realized they made a huge strategic mistake.

Appease Microsoft? The anger of the public and businesses will only intensify.

Continuing to pressure Enze Capital? That would be tantamount to confirming accusations that the EU is an accomplice to US hegemony.

As they pondered how to handle the situation, it wasn't just workers from vehicle manufacturing plants who took to the streets; workers from small and medium-sized auto parts companies that depended on the automotive supply chain also spontaneously began to take to the streets.

The signs they held aloft read slogans such as "European chips = Europe's future," "Break the shackles of American technology," and "Support European technological autonomy."

"We can no longer entrust our hearts to others." A German worker wearing a hard hat shouted excitedly to the camera during a street interview with Global Vision: "Today they can cut off the chip supply and stop the production line, and tomorrow they can use the same method to bring our entire industry to its knees. We must have our own technology, otherwise we won't feel at ease at work!"

Similar scenes were simultaneously playing out in Stuttgart and Wolfsburg in Germany, Paris and Mulhouse in France, and Turin in Italy.

The workers' emotions were fully mobilized, and a sense of tragic heroism—fighting for the future of Europe—permeated the march.

EU officials are having a real headache.

They understand the logic behind it all too well.

Such a large-scale, unified, and precisely covered protest movement is not simply because workers have nothing better to do.

Although they also hold protests when they're overeating, this time it's completely different.

Such a large-scale protest must have strong organizational capabilities and financial support behind it. They suspect that the driving force behind it must be the industrial giants whose interests have been severely damaged by the chip crisis.

They never expected that the invisible force behind all of this was actually Enze Capital, which seemed to have already surrendered.

In the castle of Jacob, head of the Rothschild family's British branch, Mike, president of Enze Capital, was enjoying drinks with several heads of European automotive conglomerates and major auto parts suppliers.

After experiencing the painful consequences of being held hostage, these business giants have finally decided to join forces to drive change.

This move by Microsoft and Intel is terrifying.

They raise prices whenever they want.

Following this logic, wouldn't they also be able to come up with the same methods to deal with Momo Group?
Where does their sense of security come from?
During the mechanical industry era, they didn't care much, but now more and more trends indicate that the automotive industry has also entered the Internet age, and their demand for chips is growing rapidly.

"Gentlemen," Mike's voice was deep and powerful, a stark contrast to his weary and humiliated appearance on television. Holding his wine glass, he said, "The current efforts are not enough. We must make those bureaucrats in Brussels understand that the backbone of Europe's industry cannot be in the hands of others."

A representative from a German automotive family nodded and said, "Mr. Mike is right. This crisis has served as a wake-up call for us. We must promote technological autonomy in Europe; it's not just about profits, it's about survival."

Another French auto parts giant added: "We have joined forces with French industry associations, and they are drafting a joint proposal to the EU. It calls for the immediate launch of the European Advanced Chip Manufacturing Program and full policy and financial support for European semiconductor companies and the development of related supply chains."

“I’m afraid that won’t work,” Mike said, shaking his head. “Starting a European chip manufacturing program will take three to five years of struggle, and the US semiconductor industry won’t give us that time. Have you thought about the consequences if they cut off our chip supply in the next three to five years?”

"They certainly don't have the guts to cut off supplies; at most, they'll just raise prices," the tycoon said confidently. "Mr. Mike, do you have any ideas?"

Mike said, "I think we should just address the normal demands. Our goal is to prevent the automotive industry from being held hostage. In that case, we should just fight for the rights and interests of the automotive industry and avoid the PC industry, which they value most."

“Mr. Mike is right. It’s almost impossible for Europe to fully open up chip manufacturing,” another automotive giant chimed in.

Mike said, "The emerging technology in the automotive industry now is the smart central control screen. We can compile the required parts for the smart central control screen and submit them to the European Union, so that they can help us negotiate with the relevant departments in the United States to try to get ARM to relinquish the right to manufacture chips in this field."

“Yes, yes, that’s definitely no problem. If they don’t even agree to this, then don’t blame us for using other methods,” a car tycoon said in a deep voice.

Mike added, "It's not that bad yet, but since last year, Qualcomm has been acquiring our European software companies. We need to be wary of that. I think the biggest beneficiary in the automotive industry is Qualcomm. As far as I know, they recently acquired ELATA, a British company that provides wireless content management technology."

"Qualcomm?" Several automotive giants looked at each other in bewilderment.

They have little contact with Qualcomm, and only know that Qualcomm makes communication technology and mobile phone system chips.

Mike didn't elaborate, but changed the subject, saying, "Gentlemen, we need to strike while the iron is hot and strive to completely open the door to self-sufficiency in automotive chips by July. Once we have gathered enough influence, we will start putting pressure on the European Commission."

"it is good."

"no problem."

At Mike's instruction, several major automotive giants immediately increased their investment.

They're used to bullying others, so when they were bullied themselves, they really couldn't take it.

They don't want to experience that feeling of being choked again.

On the other hand, Enze Capital's Global Vision Channel, along with numerous mainstream and local European media outlets influenced through capital ties, launched an even more intense campaign to assert the technological sovereignty of the European automotive industry.

The prime-time documentary reviewed the past glory of European industry, then abruptly cut to footage of factory shutdowns caused by the chip crisis, accompanied by a somber voiceover: "When production lines are brought to a standstill by a tiny chip, can we still call ourselves an industrial powerhouse?"

The newspaper's front-page column, written by invited experts, provided a detailed analysis of the global semiconductor industry landscape, clearly pointing out the strategic risks of over-reliance on US technology, and calling on the EU to follow the example of some Asian countries and leverage the resources of the entire continent to build an independent and controllable automotive semiconductor ecosystem.

On social media, a large number of jokes, images, and short videos that amplify anxiety and nationalistic sentiments have been produced and disseminated, all conveying the same core message: without technological self-reliance, the European automotive industry has no future!
The word "chokehold" has become one of the most frequently used terms in the media when describing the current situation in Europe.

As people described the situation, they began to narrow the scope, reducing the focus from the European semiconductor industry to the self-sufficiency and control of the automotive industry. Under the impact of this massive wave driven by capital, fueled by public opinion, and amplified by the media, the European Commission's attitude underwent a fundamental shift.

European Commission officials breathed a sigh of relief as public opinion shifted from the entire industry to the automotive sector.

At the very least, we can still strive for self-reliance and control over the automotive industry.

They now realize that appeasing Microsoft is far more costly than supporting domestic technological independence.

Most importantly, if they continue to remain silent, they will not only lose public support, but also offend a large number of automotive industry giants.

Brussels, headquarters of the European Commission.

In a neoclassical-style conference room, EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe II is leading a large delegation of trade officials, technology experts, and legal advisors in their first formal consultations via encrypted video link with representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and some semiconductor industry associations in Washington, D.C.

Commissioner Margaret, abandoning her usual caution, set a tough tone from the outset, stating directly: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are sitting here today to discuss an issue that concerns the core interests of European industry: the technological sovereignty and supply chain security of the European automotive industry."

Behind her, the screen displayed photos of worker protests and factory shutdowns in major European cities, along with a series of alarming economic data and estimated losses.

"Recent events have demonstrated that it is extremely dangerous and unsustainable to rely entirely on an unstable external supply chain for automotive chips, which will determine the fate of millions of our jobs and core manufacturing industries. Europe needs, and must have, the ability to ensure the autonomy and security of its automotive industry in critical components."

She deliberately limited the scope to the automotive industry, stating clearly and firmly: "We are not seeking to challenge the existing global order in the PC or consumer electronics fields. Our demands are very clear and limited. We hope that the US can understand and support Europe's development of automotive-grade chips, especially in the design and manufacturing capabilities of automotive electronic components such as car center console screens and driving systems, so that Europe can have greater autonomy."

"This concerns both the stability of the European economy and the mutual trust within the transatlantic alliance."

On the other end of the video call, U.S. Deputy Commerce Secretary Harrison wore an expression that was a mixture of surprise and astonishment.

He did not expect the EU to elevate the issue to the level of economic security and mutual trust within the alliance.

Meanwhile, Microsoft President Steve Ballmer looked rather grim.

He never expected that simply raising chip prices on his end would trigger such a huge reaction in Europe.

He felt that someone was stirring up trouble behind the scenes; otherwise, it would have been impossible for such a routine price increase to cause such a public outcry.

At this moment, Harrison spoke slowly and deliberately, his tone carrying his usual condescending air, saying, "We understand the concerns of our European friends, but the division of labor in the global semiconductor industry is the result of natural market selection, and it is highly efficient and competitive. American companies have world-leading technology and reliable supply capabilities in this area."

“We believe that forcibly changing this pattern and artificially setting up barriers will not only be detrimental to global economic development, but will ultimately harm the interests of European consumers and manufacturers.”

He paused, then added, "What is the point of so-called self-reliance? If it's for the sake of supply chain diversification, we encourage European companies to purchase more American chips instead of building redundant infrastructure and wasting precious resources."

On the US side, a representative from the Semiconductor Manufacturers Association bluntly stated: "Automotive-grade chips? That's a demanding but relatively low-profit niche market. Our major manufacturers are fully capable of meeting global demand, including in Europe."

"Indeed, we suspect that the EU's move is an attempt to use this as an excuse to seek competition in the broader semiconductor field. We cannot accept any behavior that could undermine the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain and a level playing field."

"..."

As soon as these semiconductor companies opened their mouths, the two sides started arguing in the video.

The first round of consultations ended in an unpleasant atmosphere.

When the news reached Europe, it caused another uproar.

Major media outlets used headlines such as "Washington's Arrogance" and "US Disdain for the European Auto Industry" to report on the arrogant response from the United States.

Immediately, the workers' protests grew even larger, and the auto giants began exchanging information more frequently in private.

In the following weeks, representatives from both sides held several rounds of intensive video conferences and telephone consultations.

At the negotiating table, words clashed and the atmosphere was tense.

The EU delegation came prepared; they no longer talked about strategic autonomy but presented detailed data and plans.

“Deputy Minister Harrison,” an EU technology expert said, presenting a slide, “this is a standard comparison between automotive-grade chips and consumer-grade chips in terms of reliability, lifespan, and operating temperature range. As you can see, these are two completely different product areas.”

"What we seek is simply to develop design and manufacturing capabilities that meet the specific needs of the European automotive industry within the framework of specific standards such as AEC-Q100 and ISO/TS 16949. This will not and cannot impact the dominant position of your country's companies in mainstream markets such as consumer CPUs and GPUs."

Another EU technology expert said, "Moreover, Europe is the core base for global high-end automobile manufacturing. Ensuring the resilience of this supply chain is in the common interest of both Europe and the United States. If even such a reasonable and limited demand for autonomy cannot be met, it will be difficult for us to explain to the European public and industry what the essence of the transatlantic partnership really is."

Faced with well-prepared EU technical personnel, the attitudes of the US representatives finally showed a subtle divergence.

The Ministry of Commerce and the Office of the Trade Representative are more concerned with the overall geopolitical situation and bilateral relations, and are worried about actually pushing the EU to the opposite side.

However, representatives from the semiconductor industry association still strongly opposed it. They were not worried about the current automotive-grade chip market, but rather the demonstration effect of "opening the door, there will be endless troubles."

"Today you demand automotive-grade self-sufficiency, tomorrow you'll demand industrial-grade self-sufficiency, and the day after tomorrow you might be eyeing consumer-grade self-sufficiency!" A semiconductor industry giant slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "This is a matter of principle, and we absolutely cannot set this precedent!"

(End of this chapter)