Belgium: From friends to frenemies with China

Belgium can be depicted as an active recipient of EU China policy. Political China-debates at federal and at regional level are held on a regular basis and echo the Union’s 2019 Strategic Outlook, considering China as a partner, competitor, and a systemic rival. Initiatives and developments are taking place, usually induced by European principles – such as democracy, humanity, rule of law – and strategic guidelines (i.e. from principled pragmatism to open strategic autonomy). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has an internal, though unofficial, China Strategy. However, as examples show, Belgium’s China policy has attributes similar to that of a Swiss cheese, an incomplete approach consisting of ad hoc and case-by-case efforts to cope with challenges in Belgium’s relationship with China.