💬 The most significant threat of Russia-China alignment is the deliberate dismantling of the international order in their favour, writes Evelyn Yeh.
Read more on 3️⃣ European measures to counter Russia-China strategic coordination.
@ecfr.eu
European decision-makers should help their populations become more “China-literate” to be alert to such operations. They should also consider how they can counter them directly.
If left unchecked, these methods and messages could further corrode Europe’s information environment, undermining democratic resilience. Chinese AI tools also appear to push the same ideas.
Key messages include China’s “peaceful rise”, its intense modernity and support for Russian foreign policy positions.
A “playbook” of these information operations is now identifiable. It includes methods such as “borrowing mouths” of European influencers to lend credibility to Chinese messaging, “laundering” information, and otherwise obscuring the origin and attribution of China-derived content.
China’s interest in strengthening political & economic ties in CEE in the 2010s generated alarm. But, rather than being a “Trojan horse”, this part of Europe is now something of a defensive vanguard: it offers extensive examples of the approaches Beijing may adopt elsewhere in Europe.
🌐 What's China’s influence playbook in Europe? In their latest policy brief, @abachulska.bsky.social, @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social & Konrad Szatters analyse the rising scale and intensity of Chinese interference in Europe’s information space.
@ecfr.eu @chinaobservers.eu
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🌏️ Why has India’s relationship with the EU become more strategically important? How is New Delhi balancing ties with China, Russia & USA?
🎧️ Listen to the new podcast episode with @markhleonard.bsky.social & Raja Mohan on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue.
@ecfr.eu
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In the Trump era, Europe and South Korea should prioritise their own strategic ties and focus on the most pressing areas of dependence: defence, technology and economic security, writes @alexlipke.bsky.social. @ecfrasia.bsky.social
👇 Read the full commentary: https://bit.ly/4kTAqL6
In the Trump era, Europe and South Korea should prioritise their own strategic ties and focus on the most pressing areas of dependence: defence, technology and economic security, writes @alexlipke.bsky.social. @ecfrasia.bsky.social
👇 Read the full commentary: https://bit.ly/4kTAqL6
Why do Europe & South Korea need each other in the Trump era? In his latest commentary, @alexlipke.bsky.social argues that the EU & South Korea should use 2026 to deepen their own defence & economic security ties, thereby strengthening their collective resilience. ⬇️
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"Germany is at the heart of the second China shock," @ajwsmall.bsky.social comments in DW.
@ecfr
📖 Read more on China's threat to Europe's industry ⬇️
"Xi Jinping must be prepared for Germany and Europe to defend themselves, minimise risks and protect economic sectors." - in an interview with ZDF heute, @ajwsmall.bsky.social discusses Merz's visit to China.
@ecfr.eu
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As Merz visits China, @ajwsmall.bsky.social explains how the chancellor has a chance to flip China’s “stability” narrative.
@ecfr.eu
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Merz’s trip to China is less a bilateral tour than a signal-setting moment: his words and stance will influence whether Europe pivots to a more assertive China strategy or lets Beijing lock in a costly status quo, writes @ajwsmall.bsky.social @ecfrasia.bsky.social
Full text: https://bit.ly/4kVtOvQ
China has many means of exerting pressure on Russia, but Xi Jinping has made it clear that he does not want to use them. In the run-up to Merz's trip to China, @ajwsmall.bsky.social comments on China in the global stage in berlin direkt.
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Sanae Takaichi’s supermajority victory will speed up Japan’s assertive policies on defence and economic security. For Europe, this makes Japan a more predictable partner—but it also adds pressure to match Tokyo’s new pace, writes @ellipohlkamp.bsky.social
🔍 Read more: https://bit.ly/4rf0kve
Sanae Takaichi’s supermajority victory makes Japan a more predictable partner for Europe - but it also adds pressure to match Tokyo’s new pace.
@ellipohlkamp.bsky.social on Japan’s recent lower-house elections ⬇️
China’s evolving foreign economic strategy—firm-driven, diversified, and micro-integrated—poses stealthier risks to EU industries than the old, loan-heavy, megaproject tactics, which at least made the dangers obvious, writes Vladimir Shopov in his latest commentary.
@ecfr.eu
Vladimir Shopov writes "China is shifting its economic strategies towards micro-integration and market diversification, which pose a more subtle danger to Europe’s industrial heartlands". @ecfrasia.bsky.social
👇 Read the commentary here: https://bit.ly/4tkx33M
Like-minded countries are starting to protect themselves from US unpredictability and Chinese dominance by forging new coalitions. This will only work if they limit their solo deals with Beijing, write @jankaoertel.bsky.social & @ajwsmall.bsky.social.
Read more here ⬇️
The EU must take concrete steps to support African ambitions to move exporting or processing raw materials and become a maker of clean technologies, write @byfordt.bsky.social & Rhea Ravindra.
Read more on how Europe can compete with China on clean tech in Africa ⬇️
Clarifying trade-offs—through impact scenarios, transparent cost debates and appealing to new constituencies—is essential to creating a shared European approach that strengthens both climate ambition and economic security.
Although a broad group of European political and business leaders agree that China is an economic challenge, they differ on their assessments of the scale and long-term fallout of the problem. This has constrained efforts to build a durable coalition for a more robust European policy response.
However, EU states differ markedly in their appetite for bolstering European clean-tech firms and climate policy. Their stances reflect the strengt of their clean-tech sectors, clout of old industries, the country’s exposure to Chinese competition, and public opinion on China & climate change.
The bloc needs to transition from imported fossil fuels to green energy, in order to maintain its strategic independence from other countries. This will be impossible if it can no longer make its own green technologies.
China’s economic approach and trade tactics are dampening the EU’s ambition to become a clean-tech powerhouse.
How can Europeans escape China’s clean-tech gravity? In his latest policy brief, @byfordt.bsky.social examines five EU member states' green transition status and points out that clarifying trade-offs between climate ambition and economic security is vital.
@ecfr.eu
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The India-EU trade deal this week is the best embodiment of the kind of “pragmatism” the moment really requires and proves that a like-minded approach to China can provide economic and strategic payoffs, writes @ajwsmall.bsky.social and Janka Oertel.
Read the full text 👇
https://bit.ly/4qPesv9
