Collision, Competition or Cooperation? China's BRI and the EU's Development Policies Towards Eastern Europe

Against the backdrop of China's growing engagement in Eastern Europe, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) appears to challenge the European Union (EU) approach to promoting development in the region. We take issue with this claim by making three interrelated arguments. First, if at all, the BRI challenges the EU approach to development on the programmatic rather than on the implementation level. The BRI's proclaimed “no strings attached” policy stands in contrast to the EU's rule‐and value‐based approach with liberal conditionality at its core. Second, we detect decoupling between programme and implementation for both Beijing and Brussels. The BRI applies “conditionality through the backdoor” to support development at home rather than abroad. The EU prioritizes stability over reform necessary to meet membership conditions. Third, the decoupling between programme and implementation may reduce the potential for collision rendering competition and cooperation between Brussels and Beijing more likely. It, however, undermines the legitimacy of both approaches to development, as neither lives up to its proclaimed promise of promoting inclusive growth.