French President Emmanuel Macron wants to convince China’s closest allies in Europe that curbing foreign takeovers in strategic industries was in their interest, warning EU governments not to be naive in global trade. But countries in Eastern and Southern Europe that are dependent on Chinese investment have rejected any steps against Beijing. “Things are changing because we see the disorder of globalization and the consequences in your own country. I want to build an alliance around this idea,” Macron told a news conference during the summit of EU leaders. “I am for free trade, but I am not for naivety.” State-owned ChemChina’s USD43 billion purchase of Swiss pesticides and seeds group Syngenta, Beijing’s biggest overseas sale to date, has deepened concerns in Europe that the bloc is ceding control of its advanced technology, EU diplomats said. President Macron has found some support from Germany and Italy, and the European Commission will look into ways to limit foreign takeovers in areas such as energy, banking and technology, where China seeks Europe’s know-how. Chinese direct investment in the European Union jumped by 77% last year to more than €billion, compared with 2015, while EU acquisitions in China fell for the second consecutive year, according to the Rhodium Group. Frits Bolkestein, a former Dutch European Commissioner, criticized Macron’s proposal. “This Colbertist instinct – that French wealth should serve the French state – runs deep among its elite,” he said in a column in Politico, referring to Jean-Baptiste Colbert, French King Louis XIV’s Minister of Finance and Industry. “The last thing we need now is for hard-won progress to be rolled back by protectionism,” Bolkestein added.