Xi Jinping’s visit (March 24-26) to Italy and France is all the buzz in this week's news. This trip has intensified the debate regarding a concerted European policy (or lack thereof) towards China. European countries have a major dilemma: they have to engage with China (geo)economically and stay geopolitically autonomous. This dilemma is rather obvious in a paper published last week by the European Commission which views China as a cooperation and negotiating partner in some areas but also “an economic competitor in the pursuit of technological leadership, and a systemic rival promoting alternative models of governance” [Member states support tougher stance toward China despite warnings].
Emanuel Macron shares these concerns in Africa. The Reuter’s article [Macron warns of Chinese risk to African sovereignty] addresses Macron’s trip to East African countries, including Djibouti (a former French colony and home to a Chinese military base). He openly warned African countries of the dangers of Chinese investments, possible “debt trap”, weakening of their economies that might ensue Chinese investments, and the potential risks to their sovereignty. The article quotes a Djibouti governmental official who says that “The Chinese invest here, while the French aren’t competitive. The French are simply late and they have no money”.
Italian leaders seem less pessimistic than Macron. As the first G7 country to do so, Italy is joining and endorsing the BRI by signing a non-binding memorandum of understanding with China. The SCMP [The Sinophile driving Italy’s hopes of a new Silk Road Deal with China] unpacks the profile of the Italian undersecretary of state for economic development, Michele Geraci, who has had a major role in setting up Xi Jinping’s trip to Italy and the BRI deal. An avowed Eurosceptic, Geraci worked in China as a part-time professor and has written ‘China-friendly opinions in columns for Caixin, a leading Chinese financial magazine’, according to the article.
However, it’s not an easy ride for Italy to navigate the tense relations between the two economic and geopolitical giants, China and the US. The Bloomberg article [Italy Can’t Keep Both China and Donald Trump Happy] maintains that Geraci “‘seems to be getting cold feet” and that for Italy “it will be a major geopolitical moment that affects the way the country is seen from abroad”.
M. Forough
This week's Silk Road Headlines
|
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.
For a free subscription to Silk Road Headlines please click here.
For past editions please view our archive.
We link to sites purely on editorial merit. The inclusion of a link to an external website from Silk Road Headlines should not be understood to be an endorsement of that website or the site's owners (or products/services).
|
