The European Union is considering requiring Chinese investors to share technology and expertise as a condition for investing in Europe, senior officials said after a meeting of EU ministers in Denmark on Tuesday.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen said Europe must rethink its openness to foreign capital and adopt a more reciprocal approach similar to the U.S. and China. “If we invite Chinese investments to Europe, it must come with the precondition that we also have some kind of technology transfer,” he said.
EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic added that the bloc welcomes foreign investment, but such deals should create jobs, technology development, and intellectual property within the EU — mirroring what European companies have been required to do when investing in China.
The idea reflects growing frustration in Brussels over uneven business conditions, as European firms have long been required to share technologies to access China’s market. A European Commission paper detailing the proposed investment principles is expected by year-end.
In response, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing “opposes forced technology transfer” and any “protectionist and discriminatory practices.”
The move marks another step in the EU’s broader effort to balance openness with strategic autonomy, as the bloc seeks to secure supply chains and reduce dependency on China for key technologies.
