With the support of the Corona crisis,
China is also pursuing geopolitical goals in Europe, It also triggers mistrust. (and has been contributing to it in Africa for years). Weakened by internal conflicts of interest, however, the EU is struggling to answer.
China consistently uses crises in international politics to position itself and expand its global influence. This is exemplified in its relations with Europe, including Switzerland.
Chinese investors
were on hand when governments in Portugal and Greece had to privatize state-owned companies in the wake of the financial and euro crisis to fill their empty coffers. Chinese investments flowed, among other things, in the Portuguese energy supply and in Greek port and transport infrastructure – all of these are critical infrastructures. The focus was not on profitability consideration
China is also stepping up
its cooperation with the Western Balkans, where it has become an indispensable lender. At the same time, the EU struggles to commit itself to the region. In the Corona crisis, Italy and other European countries received protective equipment and medical personnel – aid that was flown in from China in a way that raised public awareness. At that time, national reflexes still dominated in the rest of Europe. Can Chinese money and Chinese willingness to cooperate and replace European solidarity?
New propaganda
offensive and China’s rapprochement with Europe is complex. It is country and region-specific and therefore often difficult to grasp. You can see that Chinese activities in and vis-à-vis Europe are not accidental if you look at them as a whole. Political initiatives line the growing economic interconnection of Europe with the trade and world economic power of China. Beijing now has extensive partnerships with most European countries. Reinforced through visits by Xi Jinping to countries like Monaco, Italy, Germany, and France in March of 2019, It launched regional cooperation formats such as the seventeen plus one mechanism, which it has been maintaining with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe since 2012. It is also trying to win partners for its new silk road. Like other European countries before, Italy and Switzerland signed corresponding declarations of intent in 2019.
Another level of foreign policy action that China also serves in the current crisis is its influence on political and public debates. In the past, Chinese efforts have been aimed at promoting a positive image of the country and suppressing critical voices, for example on the conflicts in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, or the South China Sea. Chinese media, including social media channels, were used or cooperation with local media was sought. Beijing has recently gone one step further.
Western social media channels,
including Twitter, spreading the image of the superior performance of the Chinese political system, and attempting to discredit the media and political leaders of western countries. At the moment, this tactic also means that previously known facts are specifically questioned by the official Chinese side. For example, Wuhan, as the origin of the corona pandemic, has been questioned in recent statements by Chinese ambassadors.
The uniform position is missing so far, Europe has struggled with China’s concerted initiatives. New dependencies and different needs with regard to Chinese investments, infrastructure projects, and trade hinder the development of a uniform European policy. This would be necessary in order to be able to represent common European interests in international politics from a position of strength. After all, political rethinking has been evident at the level of the EU and its large member states for a little over a year.
This is triggered by Chinese direct investments in strategically important high-tech sectors in Western Europe, but also by the authoritarian tendencies of China, which is increasingly self-confident in terms of foreign policy.
Then there is Africa!
Most of China’s large infrastructure projects in Africa, which are receiving significant publicity, are based on loans. They come with low-interest rates and long-term repayment schedules. While this component qualifies as aid, they are also tied to Chinese construction companies, sometimes with a significant Chinese labor component. China does not provide annual country-by-country aid statistics. In 2006, Premier Wen Jiabao stated that China had provided $5.6 billion in foreign aid to African countries since the beginning of its assistance program. The African Development Bank concluded in 2009 that China’s annual aid to Africa is averaging between $1.4 billion and $2.7 billion, while loans had reached $8.5 billion. While China remains an aid recipient, it has also become an important aid donor to Africa, although its total assistance remains well behind that of the West.
China is now seen not only as a cooperation partner but also as an economic competitor and system rival. Nevertheless, European responses to the challenges that China poses in these various roles remain reactive, hesitant, and selective. This is shown by the debates and decisions on dealing with the Chinese telecommunications equipment supplier Huawei and on the introduction or tightening of investment reviews.
The EU-wide coordination efforts
undertaken in this context make it clear how difficult it is to find a unified line in dealing with China. This is despite the fact that, unlike in the past, it is about much more than unfair Chinese trading practices; the new challenges now include security concerns regarding Huawei’s dependence on building 5G infrastructure and China’s government-led investments in strategic sectors of European countries. The EU’s trading and regulatory powers lack effective instruments and political leadership to represent overarching interests in dealing with China.
Crises are characterized by a serious threat, which is associated with a high degree of uncertainty and an urgent need for action. China offers rapid and pragmatic cooperation to European countries that have been particularly hard hit by the Corona crisis. It also pursues geopolitical goals. European aid and a leading role by the EU are, however, a long time coming. Ursula von der Leyens EU Commission wants to be a geopolitical commission, said the announcement before taking office five months ago.
Coping with the current crisis
and the major challenges that the expected profound recession in many countries will bring with it offer many opportunities to turn words into action. But the EU is shaped by divergent interests and solutions from the member countries. Whatever the political solutions and economic measures, European countries should keep an eye on the geopolitical dimension. China does the same thing.
Partially quoted by Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 12.05.2020 – Henrik Larsen & Linda Maduz – Quoted & Elaborated on by Ulrich Koepf
