Some of this week’s analyses and reports point to the increasing normative and (geo)political influence of China that comes along its increasing geo-economics influence thanks mostly to the New Silk Road initiative.
An Asia Time article [Belt and Road and the battle for global investment standards] addresses the normative and legal battle between China and the EU in ‘affirming respective investment standards around the globe’ and China ‘considering the creation of ‘international’ tribunals to manage trade and investment disputes arising from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)’.
The report by MERICS [Authoritarian Advance] warns of the increasing (geo)political and normative influence of China in Europe and what the report calls ‘China’s rapidly increasing political influencing efforts in Europe and the self-confident promotion of its authoritarian ideals’, which pose a significant challenge to European values and norms. The report points to what it calls European states ‘pre-emptively’ formulating and adjusting their policies in order to accommodate China’s interests.
And finally the article by Foreign Policy [Why is China Buying up Europe’s Ports?] points also to overall policy of China in relation to the purchase of ports in various regions of Europe. The article quotes Frans-Paul van der Putten analysing the Chinese goal in purchasing such ports: ‘the fundamental goal seems to be to decrease China’s dependence on foreign elements and increase China’s influence around the world’.
M. Forough
This week's Silk Road Headlines
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To increase awareness of and facilitate the debate on China's Belt and Road Initiative, the Clingendael Institute publishes Silk Road Headlines, a weekly update on relevant news articles from open sources.
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