Pavel Hnát interviewed in Radio Prague International: World has already been Asian. Europe has lived in its comfort zone for too long, now it is time to protect ourselves.
China plays a dominant role in current World Economy. And it is far from being the only prospering Asian country. „In Europe, we tend to ask if the world is going to be Asian. I would say: it has been Asian already – in economic, political and also demographic respects,“ evaluates Far East countries’ successes vice dean of the Faculty of International Relations doc. Pavel Hnát in the Radio Prague International interview.
On the other hand, it does not mean that citizens of The Old Continent are not able to do anything about it now. „Europe has lived in its comfort zone for too long. For too long, have we also been enjoying convenience of state, prosperity and afflunce which Europe reached,“ intends the economist and adds: „We were not considering the situation that some day, we will have to fight over the protection of our social model against the others.“ What Hnát has on mind is trade and political fight, not the open war conflict between Europe and China or the United States. „We need to fight with our own weapons. We cannot try to outstrip China or America in things, which they are good at,“ says Hnát and enumerates advantages which Europe should benefit from:
„Firstly, we are a big storehouse of talent – often in small and medium enterprises, at the level of private entrepreneurs, and very often at the level of women. We should rather support the small and creative ones. Secondly, it is human capital. We should not try to surpass China in having faster motorways or electric cars. These are the things where China is ahead us. But we should support development of human capital, education at all levels of technical and digital courses. Thirdly, it is security. We must become aware of the fact that China is not a simple partner and that we must protect ourselves against it, too.“
The artical is an English translation from a Czech article by Václav Pešička and Ondřej Skácel from Český rozhlas Plus.
