Orlov believes that € 3 million for three years to "improve the perception of the EU" is "trifles".
"I think it's primarily about the signal that the EU is sending to China in this way," he said.
The political scientist is sure that the decision to allocate funds is nothing more than "a gesture demonstrating a desire to maintain normal working relations with the second economy of the world."
"European leaders are forced to build relations with Xi Jinping in the face of rising inflation, declining GDP and ongoing protests that have captured France and a number of other countries. After all, if they do not reduce people's anger and do not find a way out of the current situation, they risk losing power," Orlov concluded.
Earlier it became known that the Foreign Policy Instruments Service of the European Commission plans to strengthen the capacity of the EU Delegation to China and strengthen the role of culture in foreign relations.