A Bad Romance: China's Relationship with Europe

In this installment of “Countering Chinese Communist Party Influence Around the World,” leading experts discuss the CCP’s growing influence in Europe. Vandenberg Coalition Executive Director Carrie Filipetti speaks with Hudson Institute Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia Peter Rough and former Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe and Russia Affairs Ryan Tully.

In this series, the Vandenberg Coalition shifts the focus beyond the Indo-Pacific and into various regions around the world where the Chinese Communist Party continues to threaten American interests. Each episode in the series discusses China’s growing influence in a given region, how it measures against American influence, how to define our relationship with the region in light of competing priorities, and what America can and should be doing to better protect and advance our national interests.

00:00:01 Opening by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti

00:01:00 History of relations between Europe & China

00:04:49 Europe’s joint confrontation of Russia & China

00:07:45 China’s strategy for influence in Europe

00:08:17 Italy & England’s disengagement & France’s appeasement of China

00:12:12 From Trump to Biden: U.S. diplomatic alternatives for Europe

00:20:15 U.S. & European alignment in approach to China

00:25:10 War in Ukraine’s exposure of the U.S.-European industrial shortcomings

00:29:10 Impact of Trump’s withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty

00:32:32 Europe’s hypothetical military & economic response to China’s invasion of Taiwan

00:33:57 NATO’s revival as security guarantor of Europe

00:41:02 European instances of successful ‘de-risking’

00:51:52 Primary U.S. priorities for engagement with Europe & deterrence of China

00:54:32 Closing by TVC Executive Director Carrie Filipetti