European Union China relations strained – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

•  The EU is China’s largest trading partner, and China is the EU’s second largest trade partner after the United States.

China Helping EU

• China seized the opportunity to provide relief to some of the worst-hit European countries as part of polishing up the Communist Party’s image internationally.

China Showers Europe with virus Aid

• It also airlifted medical supplies including protective equipment, testing kits and ventilators to the worst-hit countries in Europe and elsewhere 13-March: 30 tons worth of coveted face masks and respirators in boxes draped with the Chinese flag.

Chinese gave assurance

• China is ready to work with the international community, including European countries, to “jointly safeguard the health and safety of all mankind.”
• Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant currently bidding for major 5G contracts across Europe, has donated over 2 million face masks to Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and Poland.

Why is China Doing this?

• First, they enable China to deflect attention away from the fact that the virus originated in Wuhan.
• Second, at a time when the West is struggling to contain the virus, China wants to present its governance model based on social control, harsh confinement, and surveillance in a more favorable light.

Why is China Doing this?

• Third, China is utilizing these new diplomatic tools to boost its soft power profile and promote itself as a generous and responsible international actor. Fourth, relevance of Europe is further amplified by the escalating competition and trade war between Beijing and Washington under President Donald Trump
• But…Now EU is Moving away from China
• Beijing’s handling of the crisis has eroded trust just when it had a chance to demonstrate global leadership.
• First, a more coordinated common European response to the coronavirus is now finally shaping up.
• European Commission has issued statements noting that “France and Germany have combined donated more masks to Italy than China.”
• 
• Faulty Medical Equipment from China
•  Countries such as Spain, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic have already returned Chinese-made test-kits.
• Some Italian voices, for example, have reacted strongly against China’s push – sometimes asking for “war damages” instead.
• Why We, Italians, Are Angry With China – And Want ‘War Damages

Opinion Against China

• “Over these months China has lost Europe,” said Reinhard Buetikofer, a German Green party lawmaker.
• He cited concerns from China’s “truth management” in the early stages of the virus to an “extremely aggressive” stance by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing and “hard line propaganda” that champions the superiority of Communist Party rule over democracy.

Governments Raising Concerns

• U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it can’t be “business as usual” with China once the pandemic is over. French President Emmanuel Macron said there were “clearly things that have happened that we don’t know about.”
• Spain’s Health Ministry has cancelled an order of antigen test kits from Chinese company
• Johanson HUAWEI Plan At Risk: U.K. Set to rethink china ties
• Governments Raising Concerns
• another program known as Made in China 2025, whereby Beijing seeks to become the world leader in key technologies, is seen in many quarters as a further threat to European industry.

Germany Preventing Chinese Takeovers

• Countries including Germany that have investment screening regulations have tightened them and extended their scope in response to concerns that China could take controlling stakes in companies
• The regular EU-China summit has already been cancelled
• Markel’s Government Approves Tighter Rules On Takeovers
•  If Beijing was serious about improving its standing with European governments, it would have to do far more than symbolic deliveries of aid. It needs to be
• more transparent about its own handling of the virus,
• avoiding the politicization of medical assistance,
• stopping the spread of disinformation and propaganda,
• and engaging constructively in multilateral institutions.

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