"What future for Europe in the face of Chinese influence?", January 26

Wednesday, January 26 at 6:30pm by videoconference on Zoom.
Registration required to participate remotely in the conference.

The pandemic has had its effect: in 2020, Europe has definitely become aware that People's China is conducting influence operations that go far beyond classic seduction campaigns to expand its business partnerships. The Beijing government is implementing a strategy using coercive, sometimes clandestine methods that are increasingly similar to those of Russia. When "soft power" gives way to "sharp power", the power to cause harm by non-military means.

This influence is particularly visible in certain Central and Eastern European or Southern European countries, which either lack the weapons to resist the Chinese offensive, or show a convergence of views with Beijing. The controversy surrounding the establishment of China's first university campus in Budapest is a recent illustration of this.

But some European countries are beginning to turn away from Beijing, just when they were hoping for a windfall of Chinese investment. Such is the case of Lithuania, which belonged to the "17+1" partnership (China and Eastern European states, along with Greece). But the Lithuanians were disappointed by Chinese promises of capital that never arrived, and by methods of intimidation all too familiar in this Baltic state. Having accepted the existence of a de facto Taiwanese embassy, Vilnius is now suffering from Chinese diplomatic and, above all, commercial reprisals.

How is the EU reacting to Chinese influence operations? Is there a European counter-strategy? This conference will provide a better understanding of the dynamics and prospects of Chinese influence in Europe. What are the modus operandi? Which countries are vulnerable to Chinese influence, and to what degree? What is the European Union's strategy in the face of Beijing's operations?

Speakers:

• Jean-Baptiste Jeangène Vilmer, Director of IRSEM, co-author of the report "Les opérations d'influence chinoises" (IRSEM, 2021).
• Paul Charon, Director of IRSEM's "Intelligence, Anticipation and Hybrid Threats" domain, co-author of the report.
• Irène Hors, associate researcher at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) and president of the steering committee of the France China Foundation.
  

Moderator:

• Joris Zylberman, editor-in-chief of Asialyst and former China correspondent for RFI and France 24.
  

Co-organizers: Inalco and Asialyst.com, the website for news and analysis across Asia
Contact: contact@asialyst.com