BRUSSELS – Some European countries are beginning to block Chinese involvement in their economies, moving closer to positions defended by the United States amid growing anxiety in Europe about China’s increasingly aggressive geopolitical stance.
Baltic governments to the Adriatic Sea have recently canceled public tenders that Chinese state-owned companies should win, or are moving to ban Chinese companies from investing or contracting in their countries.
The changes were brought about by a mix of national security concerns and disappointment with the performance of Chinese contractors, say officials involved in the decisions. Several of the canceled projects were part of China’s global infrastructure initiative, Belt and Road, which disappointed several participating countries.
The shift is taking place largely in smaller European countries, increasing tensions within the European Union, where large countries still favor the maintenance of trade ties with China.
Romania and Lithuania are taking extensive steps to exclude Chinese companies from certain public contracts. Other movements are more targeted. Officials in Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Romania have suspended public tenders involving Chinese companies for works on nuclear power plants, highways, railways, security scanners and a container terminal. Greece is debating whether to allow a Chinese shipping company to increase its majority stake in the country’s largest port.