Xi Jinping, China’s President, is making headlines in Europe during his week-long visit to France, Serbia, and Hungary.
China aims to strengthen ties with European countries through strategic investments and bilateral agreements to assert its global dominance and peel these countries away from the US-led world order.
The ’16+1′ initiative, launched in 2012, sought to build relations with Central and Eastern European countries but had limited success due to lack of substantial benefits.
Serbia and Hungary continue to support China, with significant Chinese investments solidifying their ties.
Many European countries are becoming critical of China due to issues like the pandemic, Chinese sanctions, and concerns about cheap imports flooding their markets, posing a challenge to China’s influence.
Xi Jinping continues to push ahead with infrastructure and investment projects in Hungary and Serbia despite growing opposition. The outcome of these projects on China’s influence remains uncertain.
Xi Jinping’s visit is a strategic move to assert China’s influence in Europe, but growing opposition and changing sentiments may challenge China’s domination plans.
