The EU considers curbing China's growing influence in EU ports
A draft document seen by Euronews shows that transport ministers from EU member states are developing guidelines for the bloc on how to assess foreign investments in EU ports and implement control measures in response to the expanding Chinese influence in this sector.
The report notes that while the document does not explicitly mention China, issues such as foreign investment review, ownership of critical infrastructure, geopolitical threats, and strategic autonomy clearly reveal underlying concerns.
Chinese state-owned enterprises like COSCO Shipping hold stakes in major EU ports, including Hamburg Port in Germany and Rotterdam Port in the Netherlands, while Greece’s Piraeus Port is often referred to as Beijing’s “gateway to Europe.”
The draft conclusions from the European Council, proposed by the European Commission in December last year, will be approved by member states’ transport ministers on Monday. The draft reflects a profound shift in European thinking—from viewing ports merely as commercial gateways to recognizing them as strategic assets supporting supply chains, energy security, and other vital interests.
The European Commission’s proposal states that this preliminary strategy "aims to address competition from third countries and issues related to foreign ownership, and to strengthen logistics security."
The draft document from the European Council indicates that member states' transport ministers will support statements aimed at "preventing excessive foreign control or ownership of key port infrastructure and operations."
For over a decade, Chinese state-owned enterprises have been expanding their influence within Europe’s maritime network, acquiring stakes in terminals and logistics assets stretching from the Mediterranean to Northern Europe.
The Hamburg Port deal received support from former German Chancellor Scholz between 2021 and 2022, who believed it would enhance Germany’s trade position and maintain Hamburg’s competitiveness as a major European port.
EU leaders now appear concerned that ownership stakes in ports could translate into strategic control over infrastructure increasingly vital for both economic and military purposes.
The core of the European Council’s draft document calls for strengthening scrutiny of foreign investments in ports—particularly "to provide guidance for assessing foreign investments in EU ports" and "to implement controls."
Nevertheless, EU member states’ transport ministers remain cautious, seeking to avoid undermining the "investment environment for European ports" and to "prevent deterring trustworthy investors."
The draft conclusions also indicate growing unease about foreign influence beyond the EU’s borders. Member states call for enhanced monitoring of investments in ports of neighboring third countries and warn that developments outside the EU could affect the competitiveness, security, and resilience of European supply chains.
This reflects an increasing awareness that influence over maritime routes extends beyond the EU’s external borders. The document warns that if ports in North Africa, the Balkans, or the Eastern Mediterranean are developed, funded, or controlled by strategic competitors, they could reshape trade patterns and potentially diminish the significance of nearby EU port facilities.
Sources: rfi
Original: toutiao.com/article/1867567877778432/
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