Does the Strength of Economic Relation Matter in the European Attitudes Toward the Belt and Road Initiative?

In recent years there has been an active debate in the European Union how to deal with the changing international role of China. While some European scholars and politicians have been arguing that the growing global economic importance of China provides exceptional economic opportunities for the European Union, especially China’s grand vision, the Belt and Road Initiative, other voices draw attention to the possible political risks of the deepening economic cooperation. The present paper quantitatively examines whether increased trade and investment with China correlates with an increased state level willingness of the certain European countries to support China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which no doubt has political implications for the Union. The examination suggests that the transformation of China’s economic presence into political influence in the European Union has clear limits.