Vice president of 🇨🇳 MSS-affiliated think tank CICIR and director of its Institute of European Studies, Zhang Jian (张健), wrote in 2022 about the "Frenchification of the EU" and its implications for #China.
His views in eight key points:
[THREAD] 🧵
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His views in eight key points:
[THREAD] 🧵
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1⃣ Until the outbreak of the #UkraineRussiaWar, the EU was undergoing a process of “Frenchification”, with more and more French ideas being translated into EU policies.
3⃣ If the #EU has become more “integrated”, “geopolitical”, “protectionist” and “autonomous” in recent years, it is largely due to French efforts.
6⃣ Moreover, the mere prospect of closer EU-China cooperation, would help keep America’s hegemonic behaviour in check.
7⃣ European strategic autonomy is largely about increasing the EU’s independence from the US.
7⃣ European strategic autonomy is largely about increasing the EU’s independence from the US.
8⃣ That being said, an EU with a more geopolitical and protectionist mindset is sure to exacerbate the competitive aspects of its relationship with China, be they economic or political.
📍A lot has changed since Zhang wrote relatively enthusiastically about the EU's "Frenchification" just over two years ago. He recently stated that, “After the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine, the ‘Europhiles’ [led by France] have arguably lost ->
-> their power, while the ‘Atlanticists’ have gained the upper hand. This change is not short-term, but structural and long-term, and will be difficult to change in the foreseeable future.” Still, the reasons why Beijing continues to value its relationship ->
-> with Paris, in spite of the growing difficulties, remain largely the same. Zhang’s piece is a useful reminder of what these reasons are and may provide some clues as to why Beijing has (so far) refrained from reacting too strongly to some of Paris’s recent "affronts".
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