Europe's Resistance to Chinese Investment Has Stalled
Financial Times, Alan Beattie | Pálma Polyák
As Viktor Orbán leaves office, he leaves not only a corrupted Hungarian state but also the challenge of Chinese investment in electric vehicles, batteries, and rail, where production has attracted criticism over environmental and labor standards and for undercutting EU competitors. The EU has struggled to mount a cohesive response to such investment, hampered by diverging national positions: While some member states welcome Chinese capital, others view it as a strategic risk. As Pálma Polyák notes, "Europe's internal divisions undermine its ability to respond strategically and secure a favourable position in an emerging global green division of labour." Ultimately, these conflicting national interests stand in the way of a collective approach from the EU.
