Study Notes on the Securitisation of Chinese Economic Presence in Europe

The article is titled "Narrating the China Threat: Securitising Chinese Economic Presence in Europe".
Authors:
- Igor Rogelja, Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute and Teaching Fellow at Lau China Institute, King’s College London.
- Konstantinos Tsimonis, Lecturer in Chinese Society at Lau China Institute, King’s College London.
Correspondence: igor.rogelja@kcl.ac.uk.

Focuses on the discursive construction of the 'China Threat' narrative by European think tanks.
Think tanks play a crucial role in the securitisation process, particularly in the initial stages of idea formation and advocacy.
Despite lacking formal decision-making powers, they influence policy makers by articulating securitised frames of reference.
EU–China relations reveal a growing alignment between think tanks and politicians, creating a complex 'China Threat' policy framework.

Securitising Attempt Characteristics
- Distorted representation of Chinese economic activities abroad, notably from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
- Produces a skewed understanding of European politics, perceiving pluralism as weakness and viewed dissent as a threat.
- The narrative promotes a view of the EU where key countries must manage ‘opportunistic’ periphery states.
- Securitisation of Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) leads to practices that could challenge the EU's proclaimed values of human rights and democracy.

The article addresses the growing trend of viewing China's economic presence in Europe as a security issue, which is shaping perceptions among European media, citizens, academics, and officials.
This resembles the 'China threat' narrative seen in the United States since the late 1980s, mostly concerning national security and trade.
In Europe, think tanks portray Chinese presence as not just an economic concern but as threatening European unity and democratic principles.
Example: GPPi-MERICS report titled ‘Authoritarian Advance’ highlights the political influence of China as a critical threat.

The construction of a 'China threat' involves:
- Politicisation of Chinese investments: Reducing the perceived independence of Chinese companies.
- Undermining European unity: Disagreement among members on engagement with China is framed as a threat.
- Othering of Chinese actors: Portrayed as agents of a hostile regime, reinforcing the need for securitisation.
Empirical analysis involves reviewing reports, policy briefs, and literature from think tanks circulated among EU decision-makers.

Think tanks help shape narratives regarding policy proposals and decisions, identifying them as 'idea entrepreneurs'.
Their influence comes from credibility, access to decision-makers, and the ability to resonate with political predispositions.
Effective securitisation requires strategic framing of narratives that aligns with existing fears and assumptions.

Analysis includes reports circulated by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) relevant to EU-China relations from 2014 to 2018.
The EPRS flagged a total of 200 think tank reports qualitatively surveyed, leading to a purposeful selection of 33 publications prescriptive in nature.

The analysis identifies three key discursive pillars supporting the securitisation narrative.

Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) is framed as centrally controlled by the Chinese state, presenting it as a direct security threat without case-specific evidence.
This view oversimplifies Chinese investments by ignoring the diversity of actors and interests within China and Europe.
Centralising agency leads to distorted representations of Chinese economic activities as political manoeuvres, which may disregard other dynamics.

This discourse portrays EU unity as threatened by differing member state engagements with China.
Pushes for a unified EU response against perceived Chinese penetration, implying operational coherence is paramount to internal EU stability.
Internal disagreements on policies regarding China provide a lens through which think tanks escalate the alarm about disunity fostering Chinese influence.

This pillar depicts the Chinese political system as fundamentally opposed to the democratic ideals of Europe, framing all interactions as problematic.
Constructs a narrative that positions Chinese actors as threats due to their link with an authoritarian regime.
The 'othering' of Chinese institutions focuses on their influence in Europe and potential risks to security and liberal values.

The combination of the three pillars coalesces to portray Chinese presence as an existential threat to core European principles and stability.
The security discourse extends the narrative of impending risks from Chinese investments, capable of upsetting Europe’s socio-political order.

The securitising discourse requires careful critique, focusing on accuracy and empirical evidence rather than sensationalism.
Emphasis on pluralistic, fact-based debates is necessary to counteract the potentially harmful implications of uncritical securitisation narratives.
The authors call for nuanced discussions that can facilitate better responses to the challenges posed by Chinese investments without falling into alarmism.