Les Echos highlights Datenna research in article on Europe–China relations

In a recent article, Les Echos explored Europe's turbulent economic relationship with China, and the urgent need for stronger economic intelligence to guide policy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for rebalancing trade relations and accelerating "derisking." But as the article points out, Europe still struggles to see clearly when it comes to China. Access to reliable information is limited by language barriers, censorship, and lack of dedicated expertise — leaving policymakers at a disadvantage.

Meanwhile, China continues to expand its technological capabilities at an unprecedented pace. By 2030, it could account for nearly 45% of global manufacturing output. Already, China leads in 57 out of 64 critical technologies identified by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute — from drone swarms to machine learning.

Datenna's research is cited directly in the piece:

"In the defense sector alone, more than a hundred calls for tenders for the purchase of open-source intelligence (OSINT) solutions have been issued in China over the last ten years, according to a study by Datenna."

This highlights a troubling paradox. While Europe debates its strategic autonomy, China is actively investing in OSINT to understand Western technological developments. The U.S. has established dedicated China expertise centres across multiple agencies. Europe, however, risks falling behind — mistaking "not knowing" for diplomatic prudence.

The article argues that Europe needs to establish an EU-level OSINT centre to systematically track China's economic and technological landscape. Such an initiative would provide the clarity required to defend European interests, reduce dependencies, and safeguard sovereignty.

At Datenna, our work already contributes to this effort. By delivering verifiable, open-source intelligence on China's defence, technology, and economic networks, we help governments move from strategic blindness to informed decision-making.

Read the full Les Echos article →