Europe’s manufacturers could give up on attempting to compete with their Chinese counterparts by the end of the decade if current trends continue amid fears over mass job losses, the head of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China has warned. In a case of “if you can’t beat them, join them”, Jens Eskelund said European companies operating in China were now thinking “Made in China for China” could be replaced by a philosophy of “Made in China for the world”. Eskelund, who heads the influential Beijing-headquartered body, said European manufacturers could find themselves at an existential crossroads by the end of the decade, asking themselves: “What is the point of trading?” As the EU gets tough with China with a deficit running at a record £1bn (€1.18bn) a day and an increasing mood for protectionism in Brussels, Berlin and Paris, he said European countries might need to shift their policies to allow domestic manufacturers to become part of Chinese firms’ supply chains, rather t