Nancy Pelosi's controversial visit to Taiwan on August 2-3 is only the last major episode in the context of growing tensions between China and the US. These tensions are also rooted in the long-lasting race for global technology leadership, with the EU and a number of Asian countries striving to play key roles as well. Over the past decade, the combination of China’s plans to gain global technological and economic primacy and Xi Jinping’s Grand Strategy has triggered reactions in the West and China’s neighbouring countries which have developed their own industrial plans. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine further confirmed that economic advantages (especially in strategic sectors) may turn into political options. Is the EU ready to reduce its dependency on Beijing in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, batteries, and critical materials? How can it preserve and gain market shares also in view of increased competition by other Asian leading economies? And last but not least, is the EU's strategic autonomy at risk?
Contributors:
Philippe Le Corre, Harvard Kennedy School and ESSEC Business School
Ilaria Mazzocco, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Shino Watanabe, Sophia University, Tokyo
