In a recent report published by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, the CCP was said to have co-opted European political and business elites using “friendship groups”. These “friendship groups” seem to assist in educational and cultural exchanges between Europe and China, but they are in fact the mouthpieces and intermediaries that CCP proxies use to help with the CCP’s united front to divide Europe.
On July 1, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment (CSBA) released a publication called “Uncovering China’s Influence In Europe: How Friendship Groups Coopt European Elites”. The report pointed out that “friendship groups” serve as mouthpieces and intermediaries for advancing Beijing’s domestic priorities and foreign policy goals. These groups consist of local politicians and business elites who, through various public events, help get rid of any negative rhetoric about the CCP and support European policies that are favorable to the CCP.
