China wants to deal with the European Union as a partner instead of a rival, its ambassador to Spain said, amid shifting geopolitics and Washington’s new trade policy which he described as unilateral economic abuse.
China wants to deal with the European Union as a partner instead of a rival, its ambassador to Spain said, amid shifting geopolitics and Washington’s new trade policy which he described as unilateral economic abuse.
What? Beijing has done the exact opposite. The latest brick in China’s legal wall took effect just last year with what the party-state calls “anti-espionage law”, an opaque regulation that creates new risks for foreign companies, business travelers, academics, journalists, researchers. Its nebulous language allows China significant leeway to investigate and prosecute foreign corporations at will.
And China makes wide use of this. Last year, even before the new law took effect, Chinese authorities detained staff of Mintz Group, a US due diligence group. They were later released as far as I can remember, but all they did was market research.
As a foreigner it’s also impossible to found a subsidiary in China, you need a Chinese partner that would then own the majority of the joint venure. China has been closing down further in recent years.
China has no interest in a partnership, not with the EU nor anyone else. They are a constant threat to their neighbours, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Nepal, Buthan, and all the others. In addition, China has been engaging in transnational repression, targeting political exiles abroad to silence dissent across the globe, including in Europe.
And this is just a TINY selection of issues with China.
[Edit typo.]