EU and US working together on trusted connectivity to counter China
According to EURACTIV, The European Union and the US are pushing for a trusted connectivity approach to ensure that the exponentially rising global demand for digital and physical infrastructure is shaped by democratic values, in the midst of a trade and ideological clash with China.
By providing safe, trustworthy and transparent connectivity informed by democratic values, the West hopes to provide an answer to the growing influence of autocratic governments.
“Some blocs are working on connectivity to create deep dependencies,” European Council President Charles Michel stressed at the Tallinn Digital Summit on Tuesday (7 September).
“They are not waiting for us. Their connectivity offers are already on the table, according to their economic and political interests. So we need to up our game,” he said.
The threat of “being overtaken” by autocracies, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas added, is looming over the transatlantic community, as the economic balance is tipping in the favour of autocracies.
Although leaders at the Tallinn summit did not explicitly single out China, the message was clear.
Spearheaded by its multi-billion-euro Belt and Road Initiative, China is investing substantially across the globe to expand its influence.
US President Joe Biden already tried to rally the G7 nations behind him to counter China’s growing influence in developing countries by urging democratic nations to offer an alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative.
This alternative, it seems, is taking shape in the form of the Build Back Better World (B3W) Partnership, announced during a G7 summit in June.
The aim of the B3W is to reinforce the footing of democratic countries in the developing world and to ensure that the future of the Global South is underpinned by democratic values such as transparency, sustainability, and good governance standards.
The EU has also stepped up efforts to ensure that Europe gets its piece of the cake in the race to meet the global infrastructure demand, estimated at €33.8 trillion.
US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo stressed the importance of the transatlantic project for “setting the rules cannot be left to autocratic governments.” The EU and the US have to “show the world that we can solve problems across the Atlantic,” she added.
