Is the EU de-risking for economic security or is it ‘hostile’ and anti-China?

European observers tell forum that bloc is ‘right’ to question if economic playing field is fair in view of Covid-19, Ukraine war, and China’s overcapacity

But Europe’s narrative and de-risking policy have created confusion for China and stifled cooperation, expert says

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A weekend forum in Beijing was told that Europe’s relationship with China should be viewed against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:25pm, 27 May 2024Updated: 5:30pm, 27 May 2024

China should not see a de-risking economic strategy by the European Union as anti-China even as the bloc mulls further tariffs on Chinese exports, a former senior Italian diplomat told a forum in Beijing on the weekend.

The sentiment is not shared by Beijing, though, with one Chinese expert calling the measures “concrete anti-China policy”.

Ferdinando Nelli Feroci, Italy’s former permanent representative to the EU, said Europe’s ties with China had grown “even more complex and complicated” compared to 2019, when the group first defined China as a partner, competitor and systemic rival.

China and the EU, he said, differed in their values and principles on issues related to domestic Chinese governance as well as Beijing’s positions on global affairs.

Feroci cited the severe economic impacts of Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine as reasons for souring ties, and that the events have made Europe aware of the “risks related to excessive dependencies” and the need to improve its competitiveness.

“We realised that our economy was excessively dependent on the external for many, many important supplies. We realised that we needed to become more autonomous,” he said at a round-table discussion on Saturday as part of a forum organised by the Centre for China and Globalisation think tank.

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