> Given that the car industry here in Germany opposed the (even much more moderate) tariffs...

Isn't the German car industry pretty much all-in on China, and thus dangerously exposed to any retaliation? IIRC, they have lots of factories there and depend on their output for a lot of their revenue. It would be pretty easy for China to shut them down or make life difficult them with some kind of pretext.

Boy, do I wish governments shared business's wise preoccupation with next year's numbers.