All on the Same Page? Comparing the China Strategy of European Far-Right Governments

Do European far-right governments converge on a common strategy towards China? If not, what accounts for this divergence? Existing literature has examined the influence of populist parties and governments on foreign and defence policy; however, discussions on the China strategy of European far-right governments have only recently emerged. Yet, current discourse on the topic remains limited, focusing either on broad policy orientations of far-right parties towards Beijing or on the China strategy of European left-wing populist governments. As a result, there is still limited understanding of the factors shaping China policy when far-right parties come to power. Some far-right governments (e.g., Hungary under Orbán) have been criticised by the West for developing close ties with Beijing. Other far-right parties initially took a critical stance towards China during their electoral campaigns but adopted a moderate, pragmatic approach once in office (e.g., Italy under Meloni). Still others (e.g., Poland under Law and Justice) have remained relatively indifferent to China. Against this backdrop, this study compares the diverging China strategies of far-right governments and argues that the observed variance is explained by the intensity of transnational business interests and the level of politicisation of foreign policy. This paper examines three far-right parties in power: Brothers of Italy, Law and Justice (PiS), and Fidesz. These cases share key characteristics: all three countries are NATO and EU member states; all are ideologically aligned on the right, with BoI and PiS belonging to the same political group in the European Parliament, Identity and Democracy. Each party anchors its political rhetoric and public discourse in anti-pluralism, illiberal conservatism, and Euroscepticism. By empirically assessing the China strategies of these three governments, this paper contributes to the ongoing scholarly debate on populist foreign policy and, specifically, on approaches to China.