MERICS Europe-China Resilience Audit

In recent years, China-related risks have become more apparent and acute for Europe. The discussion on how to manage those risks is at the heart of Europe’s adjustment of its China policy. To contribute to this process, our institute is launching the MERICS Europe-China Resilience Audit. The research is part of the project “Dealing with a resurgent China”, funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program. Our experts Grzegorz Stec, Helena Legarda, Abigaël Vasselier, Eva Seiwert and François Chimits map vulnerabilities and resilience across Europe in relation to China. They examined ten selected EU countries (Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden) and the United Kingdom. They compiled a database of 98 indicators for the economy, security, politics and society. The analysis confirms some significant differences between the eleven countries studied in terms of vulnerability and progress in measures to strengthen resilience towards China. Among the countries covered, Sweden and the Netherlands stand out for their resilience building. The two project leads comment on the findings: Grzegorz Stec, Head of the MERICS Brussels Office: “Brussels has taken the lead in building Europe’s resilience vis-à-vis China, but data shows most member states haven't been keeping up. While there are some better examples, progress in developing and implementing national measures has been uneven and, in many cases, mostly reactive. European capitals need to step up their political commitment to building resilience towards China; the EU’s credibility and ability to withstand pressure from Beijing and to deter unwanted actions by Beijing, depend on it.” Helena Legarda, Lead Analyst at MERICS: “Europe has made some progress in responding to China-related economic risks, but expanding its focus beyond the economic sphere is becoming an ever more urgent task. Europe needs a more comprehensive and targeted approach that takes into account where its specific vulnerabilities lie, and which of them really matter. Not all exchanges with China create equal risks, and prioritizing will be key.” The MERICS Europe-China Resilience Audit features a dashboard with graphics and factsheets, in depth-reports and shorter analyses.