The Chinese government has been working on the Silk Road project for years. The aim of the project is, on the one hand, to develop the Chinese economy in such a way that it rises from the so-called extended workbench of Western companies to the top of the global production and value chains. On the other hand, the Chinese government wants to strengthen its political influence on a global level. So far, the Chinese government has had some success with this strategy.
Until recently, the European Union watched this development rather passively. But the EU has now become active: In autumn 2021, the EU Commission announced the Global Gateway Initiative as a European answer to the Silk Road project. By 2027, 300 billion euros are to flow into this EU infrastructure project on a global scale.
In an interview with political scientist Svea Koch, FR editor Tobias Schwab took stock of the developments to date and the risks of this ambitious project.