China now knows that none of its major EU investments are safe since they could all be nationalized on false pretexts.
The latest NATO Summit was a snoozefest that didn’t see any significant outcomes, but much more interesting were the conversations that reportedly took place there about the possibility of the EU nationalizing Chinese-owned infrastructure projects if the Ukrainian Conflict worsens. The pretext, as ridiculous as it sounds, is that “Beijing could use the infrastructure it owns in Europe to provide material assistance to Russia if the conflict were to expand.”
In reality, the US just wants to pressure the EU into decoupling from China on the false basis that it’s providing material support for Russia’s special operation, though the foreign agent-designated Insider and the Washington Post both proved earlier in the year that this role is actually played by Taiwan. Nevertheless, the lie that China is responsible for this has been peddled all throughout the conflict, so much so that it’s now a part of Western dogma despite being untrue as proven by the preceding reports.
According to CNN’s sources, talk about the EU nationalizing Chinese-owned infrastructure projects is still in its early stages, but France apparently objects to NATO being the forum to discuss this since it believes that it’s better suited for the EU. In any case, the point is that the ball has started rolling and none of the participants – not even Hungary – has thus far expressed disapproval of this proposal. That doesn’t mean that it won’t be forthcoming, but just that they all appear to be on board in principle right now.
Some might believe that mere reports about this proposal might be enough to get China to pressure Russia into curtailing and ultimately ending its special operation, even though that’s unrealistic to expect, while others might just be bonafide anti-Chinese hawks. Be that as it may, China now knows that none of its major EU investments are safe since they could all be nationalized on false pretexts if the Ukrainian Conflict worsens, not to mention if war erupts over Taiwan.
China and the EU are still in a relationship of complex economic interdependence, and neither wants to “decouple” from the other like the US has been plotting for a while to have happen, but this report might lead to China reconsidering whether it’s worth investing in any more major EU projects. The EU might feel the same about China too since the People’s Republic would predictably reciprocate by nationalizing their own investments there if they nationalize its first.
Keeping that in mind, the odds of the EU crossing the Rubicon are low no matter how much the US pressures it in the event that the Ukrainian Conflict worsens, but the damage has already been done since this report could have an impact on bilateral investment as explained above. In that sense, it can be said that the US already succeeded in dividing China and the EU, even though it hasn’t done so fully and likely never will unless the EU is willing to lose tens of billions of dollars just to please the US.
The confiscation of the assets in the West of the alleged Kremlin friendly oligarchs, without any sort of judicial proceedings, really should make all international investors question whether it is worth it to invest in any of the NATO nations.
"...unless the EU is willing to lose tens of billions of dollars just to please the US."
You say that as if they had a choice?