Dragon at the Gate: Europe wakes up to the Chinese threat
Photo: Finally waking up — France’s Macron talks tough on China
T
wo years after President Trump put the threat from a rising China at the heart of American foreign policy, there are signs that Europe is starting to do the same.
Italy’s signing of a trade deal with China, as well as concerns over Chinese spooks using new 5G communications networks to spy on Europe, have stirred unease at European Union headquarters. After years in which complaints about China’s behavior were muted, the EU-China summit in Brussels this week takes place against a background of new European determination to confront the Communist giant.
In the strongest language yet, the European Commission described China last month as a “systemic rival,” whose “economic power and political influence have grown with unprecedented speed.” National leaders used similarly tough language, with Emmanuel Macron of France speaking of a “European awakening” to the threat from China. Although EU-China daily trade stands at a massive $1.12 billion, Germany’s Angela Merkel called for more “reciprocity” in economic opportunities as a condition for further Chinese investment in Europe.
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