Over the past few decades, we have become popular with the speed that the Chinese have in their economic development. In fact, a more pragmatic path within the capitalist system has been chosen and the results are obvious. To this end, the Government has played a leading role in promoting the Joint Venture model, in which Chinese public capital has joined the economic and technological contribution of Western capitalists. All this without forgetting the working class cheap, disciplined and thirsty for consumption.

A few decades ago, the Chinese, through public companies, carried raw materials from abroad for domestic use. Now, these public companies are looking for markets around the world to sell their products and invest their financial surpluses: In 2016, EUR 187 billion was invested in foreign investments, 65% more than in 2015. Besides the incorporation of new technologies, they also want to acquire know-how, with the aim of adding more added value to production.

The so-called social dumping has helped it to compete on world markets, as it has allowed for low production costs. Consequently, the trade balance has been positive and the currency has come to have unique reserves that allow them to invest abroad or in public debt.

One of the outlets for these financial surpluses is in Africa. Indeed, one of the major investments has been the rail connection of the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, with Djibouti, in Djibouti. Thus, Ethiopia will be able to reach the sea, although it will have to pass its natural exit through Eritrea to reach the Red Sea. Another intention is to connect the oceans of India and the Atlantic by rail.

The strategy of the Chinese in building these infrastructures is very different from that of the European imperialists. Europeans made infrastructure, but to connect seaports with mines, to bring the mine to Europe. The Chinese, on the other hand, start the train, prepare the country’s technicians and make maintenance work available to Africans. The money for financing is set at the London interest rate, without usury.

However, the biggest economic challenge for the Chinese is their presence in Europe, for which they already have many strategies. It is known that investments were made in the port of Piraeus in Greece. In the Spanish state the Spanish Building was purchased in the Plaza de Madrid, but the permission to make reforms complicated the project and paralyzed.

The Chinese also look to Catalonia. In fact, they have invested in the seaport of Barcelona to improve their infrastructures, in 2016 it was made with the football team Espanyol and today there are about 80 companies with Chinese capital in that nation. In 2015, 50% of the investment in the Spanish State was made in Catalonia, a single country for integration into the European Union (EU).

In Euskal Herria, they're also taking root. At the time, we learned that Euskaltel, the Basque company we built with our funds, had sold its high-speed networks to the Chinese technology multinational ZTE to offer service to South Europe from the industrial centre of Zamudio. For this, he paid 5 million, keeping the staff of 133 and providing the service to Euskaltel and Jazztel.

Finally, we must not forget that the Zubieta incinerator will invest EUR 212 million and in the next 32 years we will have to pay EUR 1 billion of debt, winning competition with FCC, which offer better technique and security. The Chinese are, however, opening fertile roads to take root in Europe, without the Basque Country escaping them.

When are we going to put health before business?