【By Observer News, Qi Qian】

According to reports from AFP and French newspaper Le Monde, on November 18 local time, French President Macron called for a "Europe-first" policy in the field of technology to avoid Europe becoming a vassal of the United States or China.

Macron made the above speech at the "European Digital Sovereignty Summit" held in Berlin, Germany. According to the introduction, the summit brought together tech leaders from across Europe, as well as political figures from several European countries, including German Chancellor Merkel.

"Europe does not want to become a customer of big enterprises or big solutions, which either come from the US or China," Macron clearly stated during his speech, "we clearly want to design our own solutions."

He emphasized that this position represents "refusing to be a vassal."

Macron continued: "I am convinced that 'Europe-first' needs to become our guiding principle, starting with public procurement. Because the Chinese have 'China-exclusive' policies... the Americans also have a very strong 'America-first' preference."

Macron said that the focus of EU legislation on the tech sector needs to change, and regulatory rules need to be reformed. "In recent years, we prioritized regulating local companies, but now we must innovate first, then regulate."

He also emphasized the importance of Europe gaining more autonomy in the tech field. "You cannot rely on the 'Big Seven' for your economic strength, let alone entrust them with the entire democratic operation... it is unbearable," he referred to the American tech giants Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Tesla.

Macron's speech on November 18: Europe cannot become a vassal of China and the US, screenshot of video

On the same day, Macron posted a statement on the social media platform X, reiterating the importance of building an "Europe with digital sovereignty, competitiveness, and the ability to protect our citizens." He also outlined a roadmap for European technological development: simplifying rules to unleash innovation potential, increasing innovation efforts, protecting data security, adhering to the "Europe-first" principle, and ensuring fair competition with China and the US.

Merkel also emphasized the importance of "digital sovereignty" for Europe at the same event. She said, "Future issues will mainly be decided in the digital field, as two superpowers, China and the US, are competing for technological leadership... Europe must never hand over this field."

He revealed that the companies attending the summit would commit to investing 1.2 billion euros in the European digital future, but did not disclose further details.

Macron and Merkel attending the "European Digital Sovereignty Summit", screenshot of tweet

AFP mentioned that at the time when French and German leaders issued the above calls, the EU plans to propose revoking its regulations on artificial intelligence and data protection. This move has been welcomed by companies but criticized by privacy advocates.

The report said that under the Trump administration's "America-first" government, relations between Europe and Washington have become increasingly tense. In this context, facing the US tech dominance, the EU began to echo the call for "paving its own digital path."

Aside from concerns about dependence on the US, Europe is also worried about dependence on China. For a long time, European countries have relied on hardware provided by China and other Asian countries, ranging from semiconductors to laptop components. A data from the digital business association Bitkom showed that about 90% of German companies importing digital goods or services believe they depend on hardware from China.

In fact, Macron and Merkel's statements are not new. European countries have long realized their gap with China and the US in the field of technology.

Last September, the European Commission announced that it had officially launched a bid to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) factory to enhance AI competitiveness. At the same time, the EU released the "Draghi Report" aimed at enhancing competitiveness. Von der Leyen at that time said that Europe must strive to become a global leader in AI innovation.

According to a report by the Financial Times on October 5, the intensifying competition between China and the US has caused deep anxiety among the EU. After the Trump administration came into power, the EU urgently wanted to change the current situation where it is dependent on the US and lagging behind China in AI development. Currently, the EU is preparing to launch a new plan aimed at promoting local AI platforms and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers, to compete with China and the US in the global revolutionary technology race.

A draft proposal seen by the Financial Times shows that the EU Commission intends to propose an "AI application strategy" to promote European AI tools, providing "security and resilience," while enhancing the industrial competitiveness of the EU.

"We Europeans must not let the US and China decide the future of technology alone," Merkel said in his opening remarks on October 29, announcing the official launch of the "Germany High-Tech Agenda" in Berlin. In his speech, he repeatedly emphasized the anxiety of Germany and Europe in the field of technological sovereignty.

However, the CEO of chip giant NVIDIA, Huang Renxun, said last October that the EU is far behind the US and China in AI investment and must accelerate the development of artificial intelligence. Each country has recognized that data is a national resource.

In September this year, Deutsche Bank released a research report stating that Europe is struggling to narrow the innovation gap with China and the US. The report showed that the implementation of the "Draghi Report" was disappointing. As of September 4, only 11.2% of the recommendations had been fully implemented. Even when partially advanced content is taken into account, the progress of the agenda is less than one-third.

On November 12, the CEO of the multinational telecommunications group Liberty Global, Mike Fries, criticized the EU, saying, "They talk good, but do nothing." He pointed out that the EU has done nothing in implementing the "Draghi Report." "The EU has basically done nothing... they have not done any substantive work in spectrum allocation, merger control, and priority growth," he said.

This article is an exclusive article from Observer News, and it is not allowed to be reprinted without permission.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7574231325113205263/

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