China’s domination of international shipping and control of key European ports would enable it to choke global trade in the event of a conflict with the West over Taiwan, an EU research paper has warned.
The paper, which draws on Chinese government documents, found that “there is a growing politicisation and militarisation of China’s civilian maritime sector” at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions.
“Given the impact of the current war in Ukraine, it is crucial for Europe’s security and prosperity to critically evaluate this vulnerability,” said the paper’s author, Professor Jonathan Holslag of the Brussels VUB university and the Belgian Royal Higher Institute for Defence.
