While Italy wants to participate in the “New silk road”, presented by the EU to the EU-China summit, a strategy paper, the aim is to contain China’s influence. This is not a common line, says Frank Sieren.
Marco Polo (1254 – 1324) from Venice, is the most famous Europeans in the middle ages to China traveled
Each EU country has its own perspective on the world. The usually has a lot to do with the situation in the interior. Even eleven years after the financial crisis is lame in Italy, the economy, unemployment is high, in addition to Greece, no country in the Euro zone is in debt. By 0.2 percent, the economy will shrink in the current year, predicts the OECD in its latest forecast. There’s an offer coming from China, so the Italian government says quite pragmatically, by the way. Beijing wants to invest in Italy, if the Italians join as the first large Western industrialized country in the “Belt and Road”Initiative. No matter what keeps the EU. The Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte would at best end of March, when Xi Jinpings Italy-visit a Declaration of intent to sign.
China come down harder?
Italy would not be the first EU country that wants to participate in the so-called “New silk road”. Portugal, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta and the three Baltic States have already agreed on appropriate investment agreements with Beijing. But Italy is a different caliber. It is after all the fourth largest economy in the EU, and is still the eight largest in the world. The decision of the Italians could not come to adverse. Because on Tuesday (12.3.) the EU has published its China strategy paper, announcing to China harder.
China is a “cooperation partner”, but, as the paper calls for, it should stick more to the “international rules”. Rules, however, originated in the West. It comes to “non-discrimination”, “equal treatment” and the “openness of systems”. Europe must strengthen its own European domestic policy and its industrial base.
It is in any case useful to talk about this topic. However, to achieve really results, Europe needs to pull together, otherwise the advance becomes a non-starter. For Brussels, the case is clear: Beijing’s attempts to buy the silk road, an expansion of its sphere of power and the division of the EU. Poorer countries would be enticed with loans and investment promise in the dependence. Greece or Hungary blocked in the past joint EU statements about China’s human rights situation, with a Veto.
Deep-seated fear of the USA
Washington looks the similar, and not only for Trump. Garrett Marquis, a spokesman for the American security Council in Washington, called the New silk road, a “vanity project”. In fact, the fear of China undermined as a Hegemon in Asia, Africa and Europe, the area of influence of the United States. The US Ambassador in Rome, Lewis Eisenberg, warned repeatedly, the Italians, the agreement with China.
DW-columnist Frank Sieren
However, it should be Brussels to the own nose. Many EU countries could only, in a sense, entice, after they had expressed their dissatisfaction several times. Now Brussels is appealing to your solidarity. The member States have a responsibility to ensure that your China policy with the “EU-laws, rules and policies agreement”. Can’t force Brussels, the countries of course.
Rome hopes the New silk road, his weak boost exports. “Made In Italy” is extremely popular in China. Conversely, China wants to on the ports in Trieste, Palermo and Genoa a better access to Europe. “There is a huge potential that other countries already use,” said Secretary of state Michele Geraci, who has long worked as an Economist in China and speaks fluent Chinese. “I know China very well, and we are in a better position than others to realize the potential risks.” Whether he is overrated or not: For countries whose economy is stagnant or not can keep up with the economy in the Euro zone, China offers currently the most attractive Alternative.
Compulsion is not a strategy
The risk that the new EU-China paper was written only for the storage that is so large. To force the EU countries to reduce their economic ties to China, is not a sustainable strategy. You are letting yourself in for, anyway. Beijing knows this, and plays his cards sent to: Minister Wang Yi called for China’s foreign, the government in Rome last Friday (8.3.) to not bow to pressure from the European Union. “Italy is an independent country and we trust that it adheres to the decision which has been independently made”.
After all, Rome rowed back again a little and explained that it was initially only a Declaration of intent that does not commit us to nothing. Also with Washington to stay in this thing, of course, in the conversation. But in the end, Rome will only relent if Brussels offers anything. Time is of the essence. 21. March, the heads of government will meet the next EU summit, and also advise on the topic of China. Next day travels to China’s state and party chief Xi Jinping, then to Rome.
Our columnist Frank Sieren has lived for over twenty years in Beijing.