Author: Eason Chan
Chinese President ... European visits from March 21st to 26th, visiting the country as Italy, Monaco and France.During the visit, the most noticeable change was the changes in China -Italian relationship.Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that China and Italy will deepen cooperation in various fields in the Belt and Road.At the same time, the European Union Council released the European -China Strategic Outlook on the 12th. In addition to using China as the partner of cooperation, the European Union also used China as a competitor.The transformation of European -China relations is the pressure of China's rise to the world and the internal identity crisis of the EU.
After the European debt crisis and refugee issues, the EU began to appear a crisis.European populism has risen and strongly suspects the necessity of the EU existence. If the European Union wants to consolidate the foundation of unity, new political identity is the key, and the establishment of an identity is mainly the call of national emotions.But why is the EU's political identity so fragile?The main reason is that the ethnic identity of various countries still exists within the European Union, and has not formed a common understanding of European integration.At the same time, the European Union contains 24 official languages, which are neither the same text, but also many ethnic groups, and it is naturally difficult for consensus.
In addition, the economic structural problems of various countries in Europe are still difficult to overcome. For example, if they are threatened by terrorism and refugees, they will challenge the common consciousness of the European Union. In a state of lack of restraint in the European Union's joint decision -making, countries will still decide on their own according to national interests.
At present, the new European debt 5 countries are Greece, Poland, Hungary, Italy and Spain; the total liabilities in Italy account for 131%of GDP, second only to Greece.The Italian ruling party is the five -star sports party, and the party has also successfully organized the party's pavilion to obtain public support with policies such as anti -immigration and expanding public expenses.From 2015 to 2017, the total of 432,000 refugees flowing into refugees in Italy. Italy was not the most inflow of refugees.At the same time, Italy needs foreign investment while expanding public expenditure to stimulate capital flow and activate the economic market.
Italy needs China, and China also needs Italy.China needs the influence of the Belt and Road Initiative in Europe, especially to connect various business ports to quickly form a maritime Silk Road.China ’s 21st Century Maritime Silk Road now includes the ports such as Myanmar’ s Kyoscopic Port, Sri Lanka Hangban Tota Port, Pakistan Guadal Port, Arabia United Grand Principality, Hakri Port, and other ports.It can also connect inland countries such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia to form a transportation hub of the front line of sea and land.
It is very attractive all the way, but political influence is the hidden concern of European countries.China invests in Nordic and Eastern Europe to make Germany and Fa worry, and China is trying to influence Europe by lending. At the same time, the Belt and Road Initiative is the beginning of the European Union to recognize the crisis.Because the European Union and the France have doubts about the Belt and Road Initiative, and the joining of Nordic and Eastern European countries, the European Union that had disagreed with the problem of refugee due to the European debt crisis showed greater contradictions.The EU must have new political goals and establish political identity in order to resolve the chaos of populism and the recognition of Chinese pressure.
(Author is an assistant researcher at the National Policy Research Foundation)
