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Keegan Elmer

Kinling Lo

Division among European Union member states over Beijing’s infrastructure investment programme will not serve China’s interest, ambassador to the EU Zhang Ming said.
Zhang said he believed the bloc would not follow the US’ calls to ban Chinese telecom giant Huawei from its communications networks.
EU nations are expected to meet, discuss and detail their China policy, which is expected to address concerns on Chinese investment, market access and forced technology transfer.
Chinese investment has raised suspicions in Europe, especially those infrastructure projects in 16 central and eastern European nations that are part of Beijing’s “Belt and Road Initiative”.


The so-called 16+1 mechanism has been described by some EU players, including France and Germany, as an attempt by China to divide the bloc and sway smaller EU nations to its side.
“A divided Europe does not serve China,” Zhang told the South China Morning Post at the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on Tuesday.
Huawei opens new cybersecurity centre in Europe
“The 16+1 mechanism has been running for six or seven years, has achieved good results, and has received the recognition and active participation of central and eastern European countries,” Zhang said. “We believe that 16+1 is an important part of EU-China cooperation. It’s good for China, and Europe.”
Worries within the EU about Chinese influence may be about to intensify. Italy plans to sign a memorandum of understanding to become part of the Chinese initiative by the end of March, the Financial Times quoted undersecretary at the economic development ministry Michele Geraci as saying.
A series of high-level meetings between officials of China and EU will be held over the coming weeks. In addition to the 16+1 summit in Croatia, the China-EU summit will take place in Brussels, Belgium, on April 9.
EU leaders are expected to discuss their Chinese strategy at a European Commission meeting on March 21. The bloc is also expected to put forward an industrial policy to support European industries, mainly those in competition with China.
The redefining of the bloc’s China strategy came as the United States put pressure on allies to ban Huawei from its 5G network.

Zhang said he believed Europe would not cave in to US pressure.
“The EU is taking some measures, but the EU’s position is different from the US,” he said. “We cannot conclude whether they will [ban Chinese tech companies] or not, we can only analyse whether it is in their interest.”
EU officials have voiced concerns that Chinese companies may be obliged to carry out acts of espionage on behalf of the Chinese government, but have yet to decide on a response to those worries.
Nokia says Huawei 5G ban would not derail European roll-out
European officials were unnerved by China’s National Intelligence Law that required citizens and companies to cooperate in intelligence work.
The US has applied an outright ban on Huawei and wanted its allies to do the same.
Zhang said that Europe’s interests did not lie in banning China’s technology companies. “The US is putting pressure on the EU, but there is no evidence to support [US claims]. Europeans are smart and do things according to the rules and evidence. [China] does not need to worry. Worrying is useless.”



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European Union

Beijing’s interests will not be served if Europe is divided over Chinese investment, says ambassador to Brussels

***PAY PER USE. Please re-download from vendor website.*** (One time use only). For 2018 Belt & Road Initiative -- A direct freight train from Prague to China was dispatched for the first time today, on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, loaded mostly with Czech goods worth about USD5m. The train called YXE CR Express is carrying Czech crystal glass products, car component parts, beer and other traditional products from the Czech Republic and other European countries. In the future, the train should connect Prague and the town of Yiwu in the Chinese province of Zhejiang regularly. Credit: CTK/Alamy Live News

Zhang Ming, Chinese ambassador to the European Union, says he does not believe the EU will be browbeaten by Washington into banning Huawei. Photo: Xinhua

‘The time of naivety is over’: Europe’s China problem is on the agenda at next European Commission meeting as states focus on competition

France and Germany are leading a push for the European Commission to review its strategy in relation to business competition from China. Photo: EPA

epa07283407 (FILE) - Container vessels are being loaded with cargo at the Port of Qingdao, in Qingdao, eastern China's Shandong province 28 May 2009 (reissued 14 January 2019). Reports on 14 January 2019 state the value of China's exports and imports suffered in the 12 months to December 2018. The value of goods exported fell most in two years to 4.4 per cent in December 2018, while December 2018 import figures fell 7.6 per cent. EPA-EFE/WU HONG *** Local Caption *** 02073550

French President Emmanuel Macron gives a joint press conference with German Chancellor at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on February 27, 2019. (Photo by GONZALO FUENTES / POOL / AFP)

China's President Xi Jinping, right, meets German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Thursday, May 24, 2018. (Jason Lee/Pool Photo via AP)

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The Pingjing photovoltaic (PV) power station and Dahaizi wind power station in Weining County, in southwest China's Guizhou Province, are among efforts under way in mainland China to improve the environment. China is increasingly turning to green bonds to finance environment-friendly projects. Photo: Xinhua

Guy de Picciotto, Chief Executive Officer of Union Bancaire Privee (UBP), photographed during an interview in Central. 06NOV18 SCMP / K. Y. Cheng

We need to talk about Huawei: Europe debates ban on Chinese tech giant over fears of back doors in 5G networks

The EU is assessing proposals that would amount to a de facto ban on Huawei for next-generation mobile networks. Photo: Reuters

Ryan Ding, chief of Huawei's carrier business group, holds a Tiangang 5G base station chipset, speaks during a product presentation in Beijing, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019. Chinese tech giant Huawei announced plans to release a next-generation smartphone based on its own technology instead of U.S. components, stepping up efforts to compete with global industry leaders. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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China

Diplomacy

Zhang Ming says the EU knows its own mind and will not bow to US pressure over any part Huawei may have in development of 5G technology


Zhang Ming says the EU knows its own mind and will not cave in to US pressure over any part Huawei may have in development of 5G technology.


Belt and Road Initiative

Beijing’s interests will not be served if Europe is divided over Chinese investment, says ambassador to Brussels

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Zhang Ming says the EU knows its own mind and will not bow to US pressure over any part Huawei may have in development of 5G technology

Zhang Ming says the EU knows its own mind and will not bow to US pressure over any part Huawei may have in development of 5G technology