The FAZ points out that China thus creates dependence on certain Eastern European countries about itself, but that the European Union does not have an adequate response to this challenge except to complain about it.

The newspaper says that "Beijing in far-away major cities such as Athens, Prague and Zagreb has a significant influence" and that the governments of some European countries, including Croatia, behave intimately to the interests of China. It is recalled that in 2015 Greece, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia managed to dispel the official position of the European Union on the situation in the South Sea, where China has border disputes with its neighbors, and last year, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban declined to sign an EU letter condemning human rights violations in China.

Still, the FAZ says China has the greatest influence in Greece - the owner of the Piraeus Port - in the Czech Republic, but also to increase the influence of China in Croatia through the construction of the Peljesac Bridge, which has disturbed the European Commission, which finances this project with 85 percent necessary funds.

"The fact that no European company has won a bid to build a bridge, although funded by European funds, is a news item," the German newspaper states.

"Brussels is growing worried about the growing influence of China," the FAZ writes, adding: "The Peljesac Bridge is one of the most important EU transport projects from the Brussels perspective, while China is considered part of its initiative on the new Silk Road."

The newspaper in this context quotes former German Foreign Minister Sigmund Gabriel, who stated that Chinese intention is "to offer a systematic alternative" to the West.