New Delhi: Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has described Europe’s experience with economic dependence on China as a “rude awakening”, saying the continent allowed overcapacity to enter its markets at below-cost prices while weakening its own industrial base and building strategic dependencies.
Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event in New Delhi during his India visit, De Wever said Europe had for too long underestimated the risks posed by such economic dependencies.
De Wever referred to the country that benefited most from the practice as a “neighbour you all know”, in an apparent reference to China without naming it directly.
‘India Saw This Earlier Than We Did’
De Wever praised India for recognising the risks earlier than Europe and acknowledged that European countries had failed to heed New Delhi’s warnings.
“India saw this earlier than we did. And they warned us. And we didn’t listen,” De Wever said.
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised concerns over excessive economic dependencies with European counterparts much earlier, but that Europe was “listening now”.
The Belgian leader said Europe did not want critical economic dependencies to become instruments of political or economic coercion. He stressed the need to diversify supply chains and reduce vulnerabilities by building stronger partnerships with trusted countries.
‘India Is No.1 On Our List’
De Wever identified India as a key partner in Europe’s diversification strategy, declaring, “India is No.1 on our list.”
Potential areas for deeper cooperation include semiconductors, defence, pharmaceuticals, green energy, critical minerals, technology and maritime security.
His remarks came during discussions aimed at strengthening India-Belgium ties, particularly in trade and defence. De Wever and Modi also discussed expanding bilateral economic relations and supporting efforts towards an India-European Union free trade agreement.
The Belgian Prime Minister’s comments come amid growing European concerns over China’s industrial overcapacity, trade imbalances and dependence on Chinese supply chains for strategically important products and raw materials.
De Wever’s remarks also highlight a broader European push to diversify supply chains and reduce strategic vulnerabilities while positioning India as an increasingly important economic and geopolitical partner.
