EU economic security plan eyes China with more defense than offense

The European Union this week published a raft of proposals aimed at bolstering the bloc's economic security, including how to better scrutinize inbound investments, monitor risks associated with outbound investments, and regulate exports of sensitive technologies. While none of the newly released white papers mentions China by name, the specter of China—Europe's key trading partner and who Brussels views as a "strategic competitor"—looms large over the question of how to protect against risks while promoting the EU's competitiveness and openness. Advertisement The package of policy proposals comes more than six months after the EU unveiled its economic security strategy last…