EU Developing Strategic Guidelines to Counter Chinese Influence in Key Port Infrastructure

The European Union is crafting new guidance to address China’s expanding presence in the bloc’s critical maritime infrastructure, according to a Council document reviewed by Euronews.

While the document does not explicitly name China, references to foreign investment screening, ownership of critical infrastructure, geopolitical threats, and strategic autonomy clearly indicate the underlying concern.

Chinese state-linked companies, including COSCO Shipping, hold stakes in major EU ports such as Hamburg and Rotterdam in Germany, and the Port of Piraeus in Greece, which is often described as Beijing’s “gateway to Europe.”

The draft Council conclusions, proposed by the European Commission in December and set for approval by transport ministers, represent a significant shift in European perspective—from viewing ports as commercial hubs to recognizing them as strategic assets critical to supply chains, energy security, and military mobility.

The emerging strategy “addresses competition with third countries and foreign ownership and strengthens logistics security,” according to the Commission proposal.

EU transport ministers will endorse declarations aimed at preventing “undue foreign ownership or control of critical port infrastructures and operations, including risks related to organized crime infiltration, particularly those relevant for military mobility and the Union’s economic security.”

China’s Maritime Footprint

For over a decade, Chinese state-linked companies have expanded their presence across European maritime networks, acquiring stakes in terminals and logistics assets from the Mediterranean to Northern Europe. What was once viewed as investment and trade is now increasingly seen through a security lens.

A deal for the Port of Hamburg, supported by former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz between 2021 and 2022, was justified as strengthening Germany’s trade position and maintaining the city’s competitiveness as a major European port. However, several German officials later warned that Chinese ownership of critical infrastructure could create economic and political dependencies similar to the country’s previous reliance on Russian energy—a vulnerability exposed by the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

German MEP Jens Gieseke, spokesperson for the transport and tourism committee of the European People’s Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, welcomed the Commission’s proposal, stating, “China today holds stakes in more than twenty European ports—including the Port of Hamburg and the Port of Rotterdam. The Port of Piraeus is even fully controlled by Chinese operators. This level of exposure in critical infrastructure cannot be ignored.”

EU leaders now worry that ownership stakes in ports could translate into strategic leverage over infrastructure increasingly vital for both economic and military purposes.

The Council document emphasizes stronger scrutiny of foreign investments in ports, calling for “guidance on assessing foreign investment” and “applying controls.” While transport ministers aim to avoid deterring legitimate investors, they recognize the need to protect the “investment environment for European ports.”

The broader geopolitical context—including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Middle East conflicts, and concerns over economic coercion—has prompted European governments to reassess vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. Ports, handling nearly three-quarters of the EU’s external trade, are central to these concerns.

The Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) has highlighted risks associated with the Port of Piraeus, noting that Chinese-operated commercial infrastructure there could be used for intelligence gathering, rather than any inherent risk from concession rights themselves.

Extended Geopolitical Reach

The Council’s draft conclusions also underscore concerns about foreign influence beyond EU borders, urging closer monitoring of investments in ports in neighboring third countries. The document warns that developments outside the EU can affect the security and resilience of European supply chains, reflecting growing awareness that maritime route influence does not stop at the EU’s frontier.

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