EU’s Perception of the Chinese Westward Expansion

Journal Article September, 2022, Defense Situation Special Edition, Vol. 18, pp. 23-42

Introduction:

Europe has lately been reluctant to see further unrestricted Chinese expansion into the European continent, not least in the eastern and central European states. Even if many states initially saw the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as something that could be economically lucrative and a balance between the EU and the U.S. This was due to what was seen as a withdrawal of the U.S. from transatlantic commitments and the Eastern and Central European state’s perception of Western European mistreatment of the “new” European regions. That said, there has been increased concern with Chinese expansion into Europe, and perhaps most interesting, Eastern and Central Europe have to a great extent, been leading this process.

Related Publications