Donald Trump’s recent visit to Asia has allowed the United States to move closer to China even after the current US president has been violent with the Chinese regime in the election campaign in 2016. At this point, the European Union is trying to take advantage of some Washington caused by some sectors of US society over Xi Jinping’s policies, including human rights.
In recent years there has been enormous Chinese investment in the economy of European countries, particularly in the energy and media sectors in Portugal. Fleur Huijskens, an associate researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, believes that “economically, it is easier for China to invest in Europe than in the United States” and has highlighted the interest in technology.
In a recent article, the Finantial Times believes that good political relations are also the source of strong investment in recent years, but in the European Union there are other factors associated with the Chinese will such as the liberalization of the economy and the end of the crisis. However, the researcher explains that “there have been discussions to protect European industries and companies because there may be security risks such as the theft of technology and competition resulting from Chinese control, as in the German solar industry.”
The impact of Brexit on the European Union’s relations with the other countries in the various areas is still unknown, although there is considerable fear of trade due to the emergence of a competitor in Europe. The British will also start a new cooperation with Beijing in 2019. Even the Finantial Times can not predict what will happen two years from now, although Fleur Huijskens recalls the words of Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum in Davos on the need to maintain an open system of international trade and against protectionism.