In the end of October 2022, the German federal government approved the compromise made by the giant Chinese shipping company, COSCO, to buy a 24.9% stake in a terminal of the Hamburg Port. Although the deal doesn’t give the Chinese company any say in the strategic management of Germany’s busiest port, the decision has raised concerns over the influence of China regarding the control of European critical infrastructure.
The situation in Hamburg, however, is part of a bigger trend that encompasses similar acquisitions of critical assets in Europe, Africa and Asia. As a matter of fact, two state-owned Chinese shipping companies, COSCO Shipping Ports and China Merchants Port Holdings, hold, together, stakes in 16 ports across Europe and the Mediterranean Sea. The Port of Piraeus, in Athens, Greece, while being 100% controlled by one of these companies, serves as an example of how far these infrastructure investments have gone.
In this video, we’ll see why this Chinese strategy of acquiring such critical infrastructure matters.
For more information:
Chinese stakes in European Seaports – NPR: [ Ссылка ]
China’s Influence on Maritime Connectivity – ChinaPower: [ Ссылка ]
China’s Network of Shipping Ports – VOA News: [ Ссылка ]
Top 50 Container Ports – World Shipping Council: [ Ссылка ]
China’s Dominance on Maritime Shipping – The Diplomat: [ Ссылка ]
China’s Compromise on the Port of Hamburg – DW News: [ Ссылка ]
Chinese Military Ship docks at Sri Lanka port – Reuters: [ Ссылка ]
The Hambantota Port Deal – The Diplomat: [ Ссылка ]
China opens first overseas military base in Djibouti – Reuters: [ Ссылка ]
Also check:
Geostrategy Playlist | The Geostrategist: [ Ссылка ]
Geopolitics Playlist | The Geostrategist: [ Ссылка ]
Geoeconomics Playlist | The Geostrategist: [ Ссылка ]
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