97% of lithium used European Union 93% come from China magnesium community or 80% solar panels bloc countries founded last year. These are just three examples Europe’s dependence on China make certain stock raw materials And core products for their development strategic industries. During the pandemic, the European Commission tried to measure this dependency. It started by identifying 137 product categories, all of which are associated with vital sectors such as healthcare, defense or digital spectrum, mostly coming from outside its borders, and whose imports it cannot substitute with its existing industrial capacities. He came to an explanatory conclusion: More than half of the import value of these products comes from China.especially 52%.
This dependency is particularly emphasized in everything related to searches. rare earths, basic chemical elements for the manufacture of technological products and weapons, as well as electric batteries and other essential components for ecological transition, semiconductors And chips anyone active principles for many productions medicines. “There is more and more consensus about us in the EU. United States addiction for digital transition and from China ecological transition“Assures Miguel Otero, a researcher at the Elcano Institute. “And this clearly worries Brussels.”
Problems arising from this foreign dependency became evident during Pandemic and more recently, Russian invasion of Ukraine forcing Europe to diversify his forced walks power source. Both shocks served to accelerate plans for strategic autonomy and economic security in the EU, and were also heavily influenced by increased economic growth. distrust in chinamain trading partner.
“Strategic autonomy is motivated by concerns for China, but not only that,” says Luís Pinheiro, economist at CaixaBank Research. “Brussels has made China a systemic competitor. so we enter block worldAlthough it is necessary to continue Cooperation with Beijing in many areas”. Brussels has yet to collision path It’s getting closer and closer, sponsored by Washington, only as the notion that the risks in a relationship with Beijing outweigh the opportunities. Currently, the official policy requires: “Minimize risks instead of segregation” As the Asian giant expressed by the head of the European Commission at the end of March, Ursula von der Leyen, one of the biggest bases of the hard line.
Criteria variety
However, as with many other issues, Europe’s attitude towards Beijing is far from homogeneous. “There is a very intense debate that transcends countries, ideologies and parties,” says Otero of the Elcano Institute. “On the one hand, China is a serious threat and dependency should be reduced; On the other hand, those who think they are exaggerates security concerns and I believe that Europe should not be swept away Rivalry between the USA and China“.
The Falcons are slowly winning the war. Broadly speaking, a group to include Scandinavian countries, the baltics or like some from the center of the continent Holland. “China is the biggest threat to Dutch economic security,” intelligence services said in the spring. Everyone is well aware of what’s going on Lithuania In 2021 when Taiwan allowed to open a representative office in Vilnius. Beijing responded to the bullying by stopping most of its Baltic imports; it was a decision that the G7 described as a decision. “force” action.
would be at the other extreme France Emmanuel Macron, the leader who most openly defended the idea that the EU should not behave like this. “subject” of the USA In its relationship with China, it instead considers itself a “third property” with their own autonomy the beginning of the cold war Between the two superpowers In the current climate of Atlanticism – as a result of the war in Ukraine – a few words that caused more criticism than applause on both sides of the Atlantic.
Reduce interdependence with China
The fact is that not yet Brussels, tariff war and sanctions flag bearer from Washington, if at least there is an intention reduce interdependence with China, it is also the main market for European exports. For starters, trade and investment agreement Both capitals, which were closed at the end of 2020, are presumed dead and not approved by the European Parliament. Parallel, Huawei largely exiled 5G systems According to a study by consulting firm Strand Consult, most Chinese tech remains Europeans, although it remains in the so-called ‘periphery’ of telecommunication systems.
On the other hand, Italy announced his intention to leave. New Silk Road, a massive global infrastructure project funded by the Chinese government after it became the first European country to join the initiative. And perhaps more importantly, Brussels prohibit the relocation of domestic companies producing precision technologies, from artificial intelligence to advanced microchips or supercomputers, on the territory of “systemic competitors,” as he made clear when presenting his economic security strategy this week.
Although there is talk of strategic security and many advocate a reduction of dependence on China, there seems to be a consensus that the EU currently lacks the necessary strength. industrial capabilities abandoning Chinese imports in many of its strategic sectors. “Right now it will be very difficult to reduce this dependency in the short term,” Otero says. “First of all, we need to discuss whether to produce certain things here. Human development depends on the division of labor and competitive advantage it makes it possible for some to produce certain things better and cheaper. A return to autark It will cost a lot and represent an amazing revolution”, adds from the Elcano Institute.