ABSTRACT
For China, north European seaports represent a key link between the land and maritime routes of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. For the European Union, they form an important part of its connectivity infrastructure with the Indo-Pacific generally and China specifically. It remains far easier, though, for Chinese companies to participate in European seaports than for European firms to access the Chinese ones. This chapter enhances our knowledge about the situation regarding Chinese seaports in Europe through an in-depth examination of Chinese-involved ports in Antwerp and Zeebrugge in Belgium and Hamburg and Jade Weser in Germany. Generally, these cases show that Chinese participation has moved forward because of strong Chinese business and government interest, a welcoming attitude from the relevant ports and local governments, and the involvement of major Chinese companies. Still, the Hamburg case indicates that successful Chinese involvement is increasingly far from assured, especially given the deterioration of relations between the EU and China as well as Germany and China. As for effects, Chinese participation in the Port of Antwerp–Bruges, Hamburg, and Jade Weser has had or is expected to have positive effects in terms of port traffic, investment, and maritime cooperation in no small measure because of the Chinese firms involved.
