Key facts
- The EU is considering jointly funding and developing military capabilities.
- Joint military capabilities include air-to-air refueling and command systems.
- The EU aims to reduce reliance on U.S. military resources.
- The EU seeks to bolster European defense independence.
- The EU unveiled a package to bolster its AI capabilities.
- The EU aims to bolster its digital independence.
- A Chinese expert suggests EU's AI sovereignty may be an illusion.
- U.S. and China are seen as dominant in AI.
- A think tank accused the EU of blaming China for its economic failures.
- High-level meetings between the EU and China have been reported as cancelled.
The European Union is considering a new initiative to jointly fund and develop crucial military capabilities, such as air-to-air refueling and command systems, which are currently provided by the U.S. This move is intended to curb the EU's reliance on American resources and bolster its defense independence. In parallel, the EU has unveiled a package aimed at bolstering its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and digital independence. This mirrors efforts by other nations seeking greater AI autonomy. However, a Chinese expert suggests that the EU's pursuit of technological sovereignty in AI may be an illusion due to the overwhelming dominance of the U.S. and China in the field. The EU's push for greater autonomy in critical sectors comes as a Beijing-linked think tank accused the bloc of blaming China's economic rise for its own economic failures. This accusation emerged as reports surfaced of cancelled high-level meetings between the EU and China.