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
-
Shift toward ‘Silicon Nation’ Promotes Resilience — for American Defense, Society and the Economy
Commentary
Better understanding by stakeholders of the national security and economic implications associated with robust S&T policies will drive additional incentives for pragmatic ...
By Martijn Rasser & Alexandra Seymour
-
Rewire: Semiconductors and U.S. Industrial Policy
Reports
As the United States considers industrial policy for the first time in decades, it should learn lessons from prior government efforts to shape the semiconductor industry, in t...
By Chris Miller
-
Martijn Rasser talks CHIPS Act with Newsy
Video
Martijn Rasser, Director of the Technology and National Security program at the Center for a New American Security, joins Newsy to discuss the CHIPS Act, Taiwan, and the semic...
-
AI and the Future of War
Podcast
AI safety is having a moment. To discuss why AI safety matters for national security, today China Talks have on Paul Scharre (@paulscharre), Vice President and Director of Stu...
By Paul Scharre
