EU launches debate on economic security with eye on China

The European Union executive presented on Tuesday its economic security plan which seeks to convince the bloc’s 27 states to agree stronger controls on exports and outflows of technologies that could be put to military use by rivals like China.
The European Commission sees exporting and sharing emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing as a potential security risk, as it could allow “countries of concern” to use them for military purposes.
The European Economic Security Strategy paper presented at a press conference in Brussels advocates stronger export controls and screening of outbound investments for a range of key technologies, confirming a draft seen by Reuters on Monday.
The document does not name China, but stresses partnering with like-minded countries and uses the phrase “de-risking”, its policy of reducing economic reliance on China.