They are relentless.
Someone should have spanked Xi and said "no" when he was young, it's probably too late now.
From Euractiv,
Fears that state-owned car giant’s hub will be used by China to spy on NATO
MADRID – Chinese automotive manufacturer SAIC is one step closer to establishing a foothold at the heart of Spain’s defence industry as the state-backed firm prepares to build a major factory next to a naval port.
One of the bases for the future assembly plant is the outer port of Ferrol, a dual military-civil harbour, located in the northwestern region of Galicia, close to a naval shipyard.
In July, SAIC sent a logistics vessel to assess the port’s infrastructure readiness ahead of the company’s arrival amid a growing debate over the site of the Chinese firm’s first European electric vehicle assembly hub.
Ferrol’s natural bay is home to one of the key headquarters of the Spanish Navy and the national shipbuilder Navantia.
Spanish media reported this week that internal defence and intelligence reports warned of potential “threats” arising from the operation.
Still, Digital Minister Óscar López defended the Chinese investment, dismissing claims it could be rejected by the Council of Ministers, whose approval is required for such foreign investments.
“These investments are analysed, and it may be the case that a series of recommendations are made – from an economic or security perspective – which are taken into account and make the operation viable,” he told the press on Monday, arguing that such security risk analyses “are normal”.
The potential military and intelligence use of commercial infrastructure by Beijing has drawn the attention of EU institutions, as security experts warn of risks spanning from economic reliance, data security vulnerabilities, surveillance of vessel movements, and restricted military mobility.
A military ecosystem
While SAIC prepares its landing in Ferrol – with construction expected to run from 2027 to 2028 – Navantia is preparing its latest-generation corvettes just a few kilometres away in the inner bay.
The new F-110 frigates are set to become one of the most advanced frigates in Europe, with one vessel expected to be delivered yearly to the armed forces until 2032, according to official data.
The first F-111 Bonifaz vessel will be ready to sail as soon as 2028.
“This ship will give us a decisive strategic advantage and act as a deterrent…it represents our firm commitment to anticipating the challenges of the future,” said Antonio Piñeiro, chief of the Naval Staff, last year.
The harbour also hosts a Spanish Navy headquarters, home to five F-100 frigates which regularly take part in NATO operations. The SAIC complex in the area is being built right at the entry point of the bay, along the path military vessels take when heading to the Atlantic Ocean....
....MUCH MORE
If interested we've been tracking China's real estate excursions in Morocco at the approaches to the Strait of Gibralter, at the tip of South America, the approaches to the Bab el-Mandeb/Red Sea, the Panama Canal and some twenty European ports including Hamburg and Rotterdam.
