Amid the growing Chinese aggression and ongoing developments in Afghanistan, the European Union will seek new digital partnerships with Japan, South Korea and Singapore, and closer trade and investment relations with Taiwan.
This push by the EU is aimed at building influence in Asia after the messy US and NATO military exit from Afghanistan, Nikkei Asia newspaper reported. According to a draft strategy document seen by the publication, the bloc will seek to reinforce semiconductor value chains with Asian partners as the pandemic amplifies fears about industrial supply chain vulnerabilities.
Earlier this year, the EU released its own Indo-Pacific strategy policy paper, which the experts regarded as an unprecedented declaration that promises to put the EU at loggerheads with China.
“Democratic principles and human rights are also under threat from authoritarian regimes in the region, putting the region’s stability at risk,” says the document, as seen by the newspaper. “Similarly, efforts to establish a global level playing-field based on transparent trade rules are increasingly undermined by unfair trade practices and economic coercion. These developments increase tensions in trade, supply and value chains.”
According to Nikkei Asia, the EU proposes to explore the possibility for talks on digital partnership agreements with Tokyo, Seoul and Singapore. “These would enhance cooperation on — and interoperability of standards for — emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. The accords would enable deeper cooperation on data governance, trusted flows and data-based innovation, and would complement World Trade Organization negotiations on e-commerce,” the report added.
On Wednesday, a Chinese diplomat issued a warning to the EU for “discriminatory actions” against Chinese businesses. Wang Weidong, commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Germany promised that China will not “sit idle” regarding such actions.