“India warned us, we didn’t listen”: Belgium PM calls Europe’s China dependence a “Rude Awakening”

New Delhi: Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has acknowledged that Europe was slow to recognise the strategic risks of excessive dependence on China, saying India had warned European countries about these vulnerabilities much earlier.

Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event in New Delhi, De Wever said Europe was now experiencing a “rude awakening” after years of cheap imports and foreign overcapacity weakened parts of its industrial base and created strategic dependencies.

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Against this backdrop, De Wever described India as Belgium's “No. 1” partner, arguing that Europe's changing geopolitical environment requires relationships based on predictability and trust.

He said Belgium wants to take its relationship with India to “another level” across economic, political and strategic spheres.

The shift comes as Europe seeks to diversify critical supply chains, strengthen industrial resilience and reduce excessive dependence on China.

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The economic reset is being accompanied by a rapid expansion of defence cooperation.

India and Belgium have firmed up 10 agreements involving defence companies, with cooperation potentially including joint production in India using Belgian technology, including rocket systems.

The two countries are also expanding military exchanges, training and intelligence cooperation. Belgium has additionally indicated that it will not supply critical military hardware to Pakistan, an issue of particular significance for New Delhi.

Prime Minister Modi has described defence and security cooperation as a key pillar of the expanding partnership.

Belgium's latest messaging reflects a wider European recalibration: economic dependence is increasingly being viewed as a national-security issue.

For India, this creates an opportunity to position itself not merely as an alternative market, but as a trusted partner in defence manufacturing, resilient supply chains, critical technologies and strategic cooperation.

(Defence Watch– India’s Defence News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)