Europeiska politiker tar upp beroendet av Kina | NTD NYHETER

At the same time as the EU is facing a gradual reduction in risk in relation to Beijing, more countries, such as Spain and Hungary, have recently strengthened their ties with China through the Belt and Road project, something that undermines the union's difficulty in uniting. Since the eurozone is experiencing low economic growth and is facing serious problems in terms of energy sources and access to rare earth metals, some member states are looking for alternative solutions. At the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, IPAC, in Brussels on November 12, lawmakers from all over Europe are raising the issue of China's influence in some countries. The growing influence of the Chinese Communist Party, often at the expense of national interests, became clear when IPAC members discussed the challenges their countries are facing in their relations with Beijing. Scottish politician Stuart MacDonald said that in the UK there is a lack of awareness about the long-term risks of agreements with China. He pointed out that an example is how China's state-owned PetroChina has a share in Scotland's critical energy sector. Even though PetroChina has decided to close its oil refinery in the country, experts note that Scotland no longer controls how its energy is produced or regulated. Due to several factors, Scotland today has some of Europe's highest energy costs. Smaller countries also expressed concern that the Chinese Communist Party is taking advantage of large loans that their governments have accepted. Parliamentary leaders from the Balkans, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia say that they are facing similar challenges with Chinese investments. Grett says that in addition to economic problems, there are also risks to democracy, since the Chinese Communist Party does not respect democratic processes and can try to introduce political narratives and agendas in the country's legislation. The Western Balkans are currently in between getting more integrated into the Western world and the Western standards. So I think they're trying to show, well, this might work for you, but I don't think it really would ever work. The proposed solution is to diversify supply chains, reduce global dependence on China and strengthen unity between EU countries by using legislative tools. David Weves reported for NTD News in Brussels.