On 19th June 2025, Brussels dropped a bombshell.

The European Commission announced it has opened a formal investigation into Chinese e-commerce giant AliExpress, citing potential violations of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). The news immediately caused an uproar.

On the surface, this appears to be a routine legal and regulatory action. But looking beyond the legal jargon, many have sensed something unusual. Is this really a simple "consumer protection" enforcement action? Or is it the EU, under the pretext of law, launching a precision "hunt" against the unstoppable force of China's cross-border e-commerce platforms?

A "new trade war" centered on rules, standards, and market dominance may have already quietly begun.

What's the "Charge"? The EU's Weapon of Choice

First, we must understand the cards the EU is playing. The "ultimate weapon" they are wielding this time is the renowned Digital Services Act (DSA).

You can think of the DSA as a "super digital police force" specifically tasked with regulating "Very Large Online Platforms" (VLOPs) like Google, TikTok, and AliExpress. Its stated goals are: to protect consumers, crack down on illegal goods, and make the online world safer and more transparent.

The EU's official allegations against AliExpress all sound perfectly reasonable:

• Combating Illegal Goods: The platform may host counterfeit products, as well as illicit pharmaceuticals, toys, and other items that do not meet EU safety standards.

• Protecting Minors: The platform has failed to effectively prevent the dissemination of inappropriate content, such as pornography, to minors.

• Increasing Transparency: The advertising and product recommendation systems are opaque, leaving users in the dark about why they are shown certain content.

• Safeguarding Consumer Rights: Seller identities are ambiguous, and consumers face significant hurdles in filing complaints and resolving issues when problems arise.

To prove it treats everyone "equally," the EU also emphasizes that it is conducting similar reviews of America's Amazon and Meta, as well as China's SHEIN and TikTok.

On the surface, everything appears to be "by the book" and beyond reproach. But is the truth really that simple?

Where is the Sword Pointing? The True Intent Behind the Legal Cudgel

If acting "by the book" is the EU's overt plan, then the hidden strategic intent behind it may be the real key.

1. A Precision Strike on the "China Model" The DSA's rules represent a "dimension-lowering strike" on the business models of platforms like AliExpress, SHEIN, and Temu. The core of these platforms is connecting a massive number of small and medium-sized sellers, located mainly outside the EU. This makes the cost for them to implement "seller verification" and "ensure every single product is compliant" unimaginably high. The law may seem fair, but its pressure is felt very differently by players with different models.

2. Redefining "Fair Competition" For years, local EU businesses have complained that they must adhere to strict environmental, labor, tax, and product safety regulations, which are costly. Meanwhile, cross-border e-commerce from China has acted like "barbarians," exploiting loopholes to enjoy an unfair low-cost advantage. Now, the DSA is the tool the EU is using to "level" the playing field. It is less about protecting consumers and more about protecting local industries and curbing the impact of external competitors.

3. An Extension of the "De-Risking" Strategy From launching anti-subsidy investigations into Chinese electric vehicles to now targeting digital e-commerce, this move perfectly aligns with the EU's broader "de-risking" strategy of recent years. When an industry (especially one that directly reaches hundreds of millions of consumers like retail) becomes deeply penetrated by platforms from a single country, the EU is bound to feel uneasy. Increasing your operational difficulty through regulation is a strategic form of "decoupling" and "containment."

4. The Perfect Corroboration: France's "Anti-Fast Fashion Law" The recent overwhelming passage of France's "anti-fast fashion law," which is practically "tailor-made" for SHEIN and Temu, is the most radical manifestation of this trend. The law directly attacks their business models by imposing hefty surcharges and banning advertising. This unabashedly demonstrates that using legislative tools to directly contain the rise of specific Chinese platforms has become politically correct in Europe.

Conclusion: Understanding the "War" Behind the "Rules"

So, how should we view this turmoil?

This is by no means a simple legal compliance check. This is a meticulously planned economic game of chess, played under the cover of law.

The EU's actions, on the surface, are an exercise of its power to protect consumers. But at a deeper level, it is defending its own market order, industrial interests, and its future right to set the rules. The Digital Services Act has become the EU's new-age weapon to "tame" global tech giants in the 21st century—it is more subtle, and more damaging, than traditional tariff barriers.

For China's high-flying cross-border e-commerce, the era of unbridled growth may truly be over. In the future, they will need to understand not only products and traffic but also politics and rules. Because the real adversary is often found not in the marketplace, but outside of it.