【Text by Observer News Network, Yuan Jiaqi】

For a long time, the European Union has been anxious about China's rising influence in fields such as technology. A global infrastructure strategy called "Global Gateway" has been widely perceived by the outside world as aimed at countering China's "Belt and Road Initiative" since it was proposed in 2021. A German think tank expert directly pointed out that without the "Belt and Road Initiative", there would be no "Global Gateway".

On the occasion of the second "Global Gateway Forum", EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Joseph Sikela told the Financial Times that under the current world order dominated by China and the United States, the EU plans to transform this 300 billion euro aid project into a tool for geopolitical influence, and more actively compete with China and Russia for global influence.

According to the Financial Times on the 10th, Sikela, from the Czech Republic, was tasked last year to oversee the EU's "Global Gateway" project. He arrogantly claimed that to counter China and Russia, the EU should brand itself as a "lifestyle superpower", transforming the "Global Gateway" plan from a traditional development assistance program into an "investment plan": not only providing training and education support, but also injecting joint financing for local industries and infrastructure projects, thereby creating business opportunities and jobs for developing countries.

To elevate the image of the EU, Sikela immediately vilified the foreign aid of China and Russia. He claimed that compared to this, Russia "bribes dictators, provides weapons, propaganda, and even security", while China sets up so-called "loan traps" to further "exploit" recipient countries.

Since the implementation of the "Belt and Road Initiative", Western media has frequently stirred up absurd claims that China uses "economic influence to penetrate other countries' sovereignty" and warns of China's "debt trap". Sikela continued this ridiculous argument, claiming that countries that have experienced such so-called "painful experiences" are now seeking EU cooperation. He also solemnly claimed that a Central Asian country's leader once told him that compared to China, they prefer to cooperate with the EU because the EU is "predictable and reliable".

The report said that the Chinese Embassy to the EU has not yet responded to the request for comment. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has repeatedly refuted the so-called "debt trap" theory, emphasizing that China's investment and financing cooperation with developing countries follows international practices, market rules, and the principle of debt sustainability. Some countries spread the so-called "China debt responsibility theory", but avoid mentioning that multilateral financial institutions and developed countries' commercial creditors are the main creditors of developing countries and the source of debt pressure.

EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Joseph Sikela, EU Global Gateway Official Website

According to the Financial Times report, the "Global Gateway" project has now become one of the core pillars of the EU's foreign policy. So far, the project has raised a total of 306 billion euros in aid funds from public and private channels, with about one-third coming from the EU's own budget.

This July, the European Commission proposed that starting from 2028, the EU's funding for the "Global Gateway" project would be roughly doubled to 200 billion euros. This week, about 50 government officials, including 15 heads of state, will go to Brussels to discuss the specific content of the project and the direction of the plan's development.

The report said that the EU's aid projects cover multiple areas, from power interconnection projects in the Balkans to seaweed farming projects in the Caribbean, and these projects can bring benefits to the EU. The EU has listed resource-rich countries such as Angola and Namibia as key partners, which have the critical minerals needed for the EU's green transition.

Regarding the accusation of "new colonialism", Sikela denied it. He argued that unlike China, the EU is committed to keeping as much value as possible within the recipient countries. For example, building factories to process key minerals in the recipient countries rather than transporting the minerals to Europe.

He added, "We use European taxpayers' money, so in this agenda, economic security, access to raw materials, and enhancing resilience for ourselves and our partners are crucial."

Sikela also mentioned that another core objective of the project is to address the root causes of irregular migration.

He said, "If we can provide a sustainable future for people in these countries, allowing their children to attend kindergartens, enabling them to find jobs and have opportunities for education, they won't risk their lives to take dangerous migration routes with their families."

In addition to the "Global Gateway" project, the EU has signed several controversial agreements with Egypt and Tunisia to encourage these countries to prevent people from leaving their coasts to go to Europe.

"Countries that help us deal with illegal immigration are naturally likely to receive more support," Sikela added.

The report cited data from the EU that in 2023, the EU's aid accounted for 42% of its total overseas development assistance.

"Obviously, for decades, Europe has always been the largest donor in development issues," Sikela complained, "but in this context, Europe has never been seen as a participant or a powerful force."

He mentioned that President Trump's decision to abolish the US Agency for International Development (USAID), a core aid agency, provided an opportunity for the EU to expand its aid share. But he added, "We certainly don't want to become the 'last aid provider'."

Sikela admitted that the cumbersome procedures for applying for the "Global Gateway" fund have been criticized, but he emphasized that the EU "may not be the fastest region in terms of efficiency, but we keep our promises."

According to reports by Reuters and others, the second EU "Global Gateway" forum was held in Brussels on October 9th and 10th local time. This forum focused on global connectivity innovation under the challenges of geopolitics and geoeconomics, exploring strategies to expand investment, emphasizing sustainable, transparent, and high-standard partnerships.

However, the attention of EU governments towards this matter remains low, with neither heads of state nor government leaders attending.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen opened the forum and announced in her keynote speech on Thursday that the EU expects to raise over 400 billion euros in investments for the "Global Gateway" plan by 2027, increasing investment in countries in the Global South.

Although she did not explicitly name China, von der Leyen mentioned during her talk on global environmental challenges, "unsustainable foreign investment has led too many countries to unsustainable debt." She also said, "Tariffs and trade barriers have become tools of geopolitics and geoeconomics again, and export controls have become means of national rivalry, used to attack competitors and force them to make concessions."

Von der Leyen EU video screenshot

However, what von der Leyen didn't mention was that it was precisely the EU that was using trade measures as a weapon.

On October 7th local time, the European Commission announced that to protect the EU from the impact of "unfair global overcapacity", it would start limiting steel duty-free imports next year, cutting import quotas by half—additional tariffs of 50% will be imposed on the excess part. Western media believe that although the EU did not directly name China, this move is undoubtedly targeting China.

Regarding Sino-European relations, China has consistently emphasized that China's development and openness bring opportunities, not risks, to Europe and the world. Protectionism cannot solve the EU's problems; it protects backwardness and loses the future. China and the EU are each other's second-largest trading partners and important forces in building an open world economy. They should resolve specific trade issues through dialogue and consultation.

Despite the EU denying that the latest trade measures against steel were imitating the US, earlier analysis by Hong Kong media, the South China Morning Post, pointed out that EU officials have always used the joint formulation of policies toward China as a "bait" to please Trump, hoping to gain his continued support for Ukraine. Now the EU has found itself in a dilemma.

An opinion column in The Guardian also pointed out that for years, the EU has followed the US's lead on China-related issues, but this approach is no longer feasible. The article questioned, "In the absence of a superpower ally, can the EU withstand the consequences of being squeezed between two major powers?"

The article analyzed that China still holds the upper hand in the Sino-US trade war, and Trump views Europe as a subordinate: he is happy to see Europe bear the consequences of imposing economic pressure on China, but unwilling to pay the price himself, and his decisions often disregard the positions of European and Asian partners. As Washington's so-called "guiding star" effect disappears, the article believes Europeans will have to re-evaluate: what is their true position, and how should they interact with China?

The article continues to ask, "Should we increase trade protectionism, or promote the transfer of Chinese technology to avoid a trade war and jointly safeguard the global trade order with Asia? In the knowledge that without Chinese green technology, the EU cannot advance its energy transition and achieve climate goals, should we accept or try to reduce reliance on Chinese green technology? In the Global South, in the context of the US stepping back from aid, can the EU really rival China's "Belt and Road Initiative", or accept that its "Global Gateway" infrastructure initiative complements it..."

Unfortunately, "the answers to these questions are not simple. But expecting the problems to disappear on their own is not the answer."

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