Washington, March 5 (NationPress) US legislators, international leaders, and specialists have expressed concern over China's growing influence in Europe. They assert that Beijing employs a mix of investment, coercion, and secretive strategies, advocating for enhanced collaboration between the US and Europe regarding technology, supply chains, and security.

During a hearing titled “China’s Rising Influence in Europe” on Wednesday (local time), Congressman Jake Ellzey emphasized that Europe needs to consider more than just Russia. He noted that the region is confronted not only with the danger of Russia's war but also with the ongoing threat of China’s quest for dominance.

Ellzey remarked that China is deploying “a range of both overt and covert mechanisms” in Europe, establishing “beachheads to exert control over the continent.”

Lithuania's Vice Foreign Minister, Vidmantas Verbickas, detailed Beijing’s coercive tactics against his nation. He mentioned that Lithuania exited China’s “17 plus 1 format” in 2021, allowing for the “creation of a Taiwanese Representative office in Vilnius.”

Verbickas stated that China reacted with what he described as coercion, claiming, “Lithuania seemed to vanish from China’s customs systems.” He reported delays or denials in export permits and increasing pressure on multinational corporations.

“The consequences were immediate,” Verbickas stated. “In the initial months, exports originating from Lithuania to China plummeted by 99.7 percent, practically to nothing.”

He clarified that this was not merely a trade dispute. “This was not a commercial conflict,” he asserted. “It was a politically driven pressure aimed at influencing a sovereign policy choice.”

Senator Ruben Gallego raised alarm about technology disparities, noting that the West was “lethargic in its response” concerning 5G. He expressed concern that Europe continues to rely on infrastructure linked to Chinese suppliers, with the impending risk of “six G.”

Audrye Wong, a nonresident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, highlighted that China's ambitions include “supporting allies and silencing opponents of the Chinese Communist Party.” She further stated that Beijing seeks “to undermine transatlantic unity and European solidarity through a divide-and-conquer approach.”

Wong indicated that China employs “both coercive means and incentives,” referencing the tactic of “weaponizing supply chains.” She noted that Beijing attempts to “gain support via corrupt investments, bribery, and other clandestine influence methods.”

She explained that China targets various domains, operating across “diplomatic, governmental, business, and public sectors,” intertwining “economic information propaganda.”

Wong warned that such efforts can erode democracies, suggesting that China executes “an overwhelming number of influence operations” and then engages in a “waiting game.” She characterized this as “not merely a national security concern” but as something that “undermines the legitimate functioning of free and open societies.”

Valbona Zeneli, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, mentioned that Europe has altered its stance on China. However, she cautioned that the European Union lacks unity. She described Europe’s China policy as “the outcome of a complicated negotiation” among EU institutions and “27 member states.”

Zeneli noted that China’s maneuvers in Europe are strategic. She indicated that its objectives include “acquiring advanced technologies, influencing global value chains, and establishing leverage in vital sectors.” She asserted that “this is not merely about commercial advantage; it is about strategic leverage.”

She remarked that the balance has shifted, with China accounting for “over one-fifth of EU imports” and Europe facing “a trade deficit surpassing $400 billion.” She highlighted that Europe’s dependence on Chinese resources creates “strategic vulnerabilities.”