Europe debates ‘de-risking’ challenge with China
Add BT as a preferred source
EUROPEAN policy towards China is increasingly being framed by senior politicians as one of “de-risking” rather than “decoupling”. However, there is little conceptual clarity on what this means with the increasing possibility of European Union (EU) policy failure, rather than success.
The debate over “de-risking” versus “decoupling” has been turbocharged by recent interventions by key political leaders such as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Ahead of her recent trip to Beijing, she rightly reiterated that “it is neither viable nor in Europe’s interest to decouple from China” in a manner that she has sometimes characterised as being the policy of the United States.
Von der Leyen, instead, advocates a more modest form of cautious engagement with Beijing, which she calls “de-risking”. While this may be a politically viable distinction, it still lacks conceptual clarity in a debate that will have enormous implications in the months to come for Europe.
TRENDING NOW
Two-thirds of Sentosa Cove resales in the red, with average loss topping S$1 million since 2023
Singapore at 61: How we can ensure opportunity, security and ownership for the next generation
Too little, too late? Manila’s billion-dollar bid to ignite its sputtering EV industry
How BYD disrupted Singapore’s car market – and why the strategy is turning on itself
