Exclusive interview with former Austrian chancellor Wolfgang Schussel

How is China's rise reshaping the world? Is "decoupling" from China a viable path for Europe? In an era of geopolitical rivalry and technological revolution, how can Europe achieve true strategic autonomy?

Wolfgang Schussel served as Austrian chancellor between 2000 and 2007. He visited China this December for the 2025 Understanding China Conference in Guangzhou. We sat down with him to discuss the skepticism toward China's rise, calls for "Europe's decoupling from China", Europe's strategic autonomy, and the opportunities and risks posed by artificial intelligence.

Key quotes from the interview:
· China's rise is a miracle. It's a role model of how you can really come out from a least developed country to a middle-income country and a world leader in some areas.
· We don't have an interest in Europe being smashed between the two superpowers of America and China.
· At the end, I think the markets have the upper hand. The markets, with their own rationality, will tell the politicians what to do.
· Protectionism is a wall. It's a wall against change, but it's also a wall against progress.

Watch the full interview here and join our discussion.

Sponsored by China Internet Development Foundation（CIDF).