April 03, 2018
As it frets over China, Europe is forgetting the real threat: Russia
Moscow poses a deeper, more immediate risk to EU unity.
Europe is right to be wary of China’s growing economic footprint on the Continent. Beijing’s attempts to nudge European policy in a direction that serves its strategic interest — and its selective interpretation of EU regulation — are issues that deserve long-term attention from policymakers. But while China is a concern, Europe should not lose sight of the immediate foreign policy crisis it faces: Russia.
To be sure, Beijing’s influence threatens to exacerbate existing divisions among EU members that already struggle to agree on a common foreign policy. In Eastern Europe especially, China is making inroads by investing in crucial infrastructure projects and could drive a wedge between national governments and Brussels.
China’s growing economic weight is inevitable: As Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, one of the most enthusiastic proponents of Chinese investment, has said, the world economy’s center of gravity “is shifting from the Atlantic region to the Pacific region.” It should not surprise EU-watchers that China is seeking to expand its economic reach into Europe.
Read the full article at Politico
More from CNAS
-
Countering the Digital Silk Road: Indonesia
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Digital Silk Road (DSR), China’s ambitious initiative to shape critical digital infrastructure around the world to advance its geop...
By Vivek Chilukuri & Ruby Scanlon
-
How Secure Is America’s AI Advantage?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7njJkH7XRa8...
By Paul Scharre
-
The Development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan
Strengthening and securing America’s AI dominance is crucial for U.S. national security and economic competitiveness...
By Vivek Chilukuri, Michael Depp, Bill Drexel, Janet Egan, Paul Scharre, Josh Wallin, Becca Wasser & Caleb Withers
-
ChinaTalk: Building Compute in America
Despite leading the world in AI innovation, there’s no guarantee that America will rise to meet the challenge of AI infrastructure. Specifically, the key technological barrier...
By Tim Fist & Jordan Schneider