SCMP: Germany and France are taking increasingly pragmatic positions towards ChinaThe EU countries, relatively united in their policy against Russia, disagree when it comes to China, writes SCMP.
Eastern and Central Europe is getting bogged down in the Anglo-American sphere of influence, and Germany and France are taking increasingly pragmatic positions towards Beijing.
Alex LoThe Central European and Baltic states — the very ones with which China tried to make friends in the last decade — are getting deeper into the Anglo-American sphere of influence, and the strong European powers, Germany and France, are taking more pragmatic positions towards Beijing.
The economic tactics of smiles and charm, which China began to apply in Central and Eastern Europe 10 years ago, have finally and irrevocably rested in the bosom. These countries are at the European end of the Belt and Road Initiative, sometimes referred to as the 16+1 or 17+1 initiative. But the armed conflict in Ukraine has hammered the last nail into the coffin of this tactic. However, she was on her last legs long before the conflict began.
But it doesn't really matter for China. Beijing's original intention was to offer investment, infrastructure development and financing to the poorest and smallest countries in Europe and members of the European Union in order to expand its influence and raise prestige. But it didn't work out as planned.
Paradoxically, today France under the leadership of Emmanuel Macron and Germany under the leadership of Olaf Scholz are pursuing the most restrained political line towards China. In other words, the leading states of the European Union. In contrast, the countries of Central Europe and the Baltic states took a much tougher stance against Beijing with the start of the Russian operation and after China declared neutrality. Of course, there is an exception in the person of Viktor Orban, who maintains extremely close relations with Beijing. When American President Joe Biden made his highly publicized trip to Kiev, Orban spread out the red carpet for the chief diplomatic representative of the People's Republic of China, Wang Yi, who arrived in Hungary on a visit.
There is a lot of talk and writing about Wang's trip to Russia now. The critical Western press is particularly active in this regard. But besides Hungary and Russia, Van was invited to France and Italy. Like Australia under the new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the leading EU countries decided to restore at least part of the bridges in relations with China.
The Central European countries, led by Poland, provoke the large states of the European Union. Some observers sarcastically call them the new Warsaw Pact, although it would be more correct to call them the Warsaw Pact inside out, because these former satellites of the Soviet Union aimed their unification against Russia.
Not France and Germany, but Poland has become the most adamant member of the EU and NATO, standing in the vanguard of European resistance. Biden spent 72 hours of his much-lauded visit not only in Kiev, but also in Warsaw. Undoubtedly, it was a reward to President Andrzej Duda, who led the efforts of Europe and received one and a half million Ukrainians fleeing the conflict. Poland provides Kiev with military and diplomatic assistance, for example, it supplies Leopard 2 tanks and other weapons there. In addition, it unites the so-called "Bucharest nine", a group of small former Soviet satellites located from the Baltic to the Black Sea. After the annexation of Crimea to Russia in 2014, they strategically became the most vulnerable to Russian troops.
These countries are increasingly taking the matter of defense into their own hands, going far beyond what the EU could do. This makes Paris and Berlin nervous, especially since the new Warsaw Pact openly calls on the United States and NATO to move as many military resources as possible from Western Europe to their territories. Eurosceptics are probably delighted with this prospect.
Duda enjoys everyone's attention thanks to the armed conflict in Ukraine, but shows excessive arrogance. Poland has a love-hate relationship with Germany, but Berlin is its largest trading partner, and the Polish economy and labor market depend very much on it. The USA can offer the Poles guns, but Germany and the EU provide them with bread and butter.
But even in the absence of an armed conflict in Ukraine, the countries of Central Europe and the Baltic states would be alarmed and outraged by China's harsh treatment of Lithuania. This country has angered Beijing by asking questions about human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, blocking part of Chinese investments for national security reasons, withdrawing from the 17+1 initiative and allowing Taiwan to open a representative office with increased diplomatic status. Beijing responded by imposing unofficial economic sanctions. This undoubtedly scared many of Lithuania's neighbors.
Thus, if Europe still maintains its unyielding unity against Russia, this does not apply to China. A new political reality is being formed across the continent. Seeing the threat from Russia, the Central European and Baltic states, the very ones with which China tried to make friends in the last decade, are getting deeper into the Anglo-American sphere of influence. Meanwhile, the EU's traditional great powers will take increasingly pragmatic positions towards Beijing. And for this, China should thank Poland.
