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One of the most direct threats involves remote management from China of products embedded in European critical infrastructure. Manufacturers have remote access to install updates and maintenance. <\/p>\n
Europe has also grown heavily reliant on Chinese tech suppliers, particularly when it comes to renewable energy, which is powering an increasing proportion<\/a> of European energy. Domestic manufacturers of solar panels have enough supply to fill the gap that any EU action to restrict Chinese inverters would create, Langerov\u00e1 said. But Europe does not yet have enough battery or wind manufacturers \u2014 two clean energy sector China also dominates.<\/p>\n China’s dominance also undercuts Europe’s own tech sector and comes with risks of economic coercion. Until only a few years ago, European firms were competitive, before being undercut by heavily subsidized Chinese products, said Tobias Gehrke, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. China on the other hand does not allow foreign firms in its market because of cybersecurity concerns, he said.<\/p>\n The European Union previously developed a 5G security toolbox<\/a> to reduce its dependence on Huawei over these fears.<\/p>\n