China and the US are sharp rivals on digital matters, seeking to exclude each other's influence in their home territories while projecting their own influence globally. Europe positions itself as an autonomous actor. It aims to follow a 'middle path', illustrated by some EU countries' continued use of Chinese communications hardware despite US pressure to stop. The EU wants to compartmentalise disputes with China: maintaining the EU's core values while also ensuring trade and investment survives despite China's search for digital autonomy. But the EU needs to address questions about whether its desire for an autonomous relationship with China is sustainable if the US and Chinese digital economies become more segregated. How will this trend impact the EU's relations with other countries? And how will the EU's digital sector remain relevant in the scale of the US and China's investments in emerging technology?
Aynne Kokas