Helena Legarda: Engagement with China has too often neglected the geopolitical dimension

China has taken on a more confident and aggressive role as a global actor by expanding economically, politically and militarily, becoming a force to be reckoned with in virtually all aspects of geopolitical competition. Xi Jinping has made it clear that China has ambitions to become a global power by 2049. How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected these ambitions? MERICS Senior Analyst Helena Legarda joins MERICS Experts to present her latest article “Engaging in effective geopolitical competition”, which is part of the MERICS Paper on China titled "Towards a 'principles first approach' in Europe’s China policy". Kerstin Lohse-Friedrich, Director of Communications at MERICS led the interview.