The Digital Silk Road in Europe: China’s Soft Power Maneuvers at Euro 2024

In recent years, China has focused on expanding the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Digital Silk Road (DSR) in Europe. Despite the presence of giants such as Huawei, the DSR has faced various challenges due to the security concerns of European states, further influenced by the positions of the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA). One of Beijing's responses involves the 2024 European Football Championship, whose main sponsors are Chinese. Considering that this action falls under the category of soft power and Public Diplomacy, this article analyses how these sponsorships can contribute to the expansion of the DSR in Europe. Thus, our investigation unfolds around the following research question: How did China use diplomacy and soft power to promote the Digital Silk Road during Euro 2024? Using a primarily qualitative approach, our study concluded that China, through its companies, seeks to entice European consumers, making them more receptive to the potential expansion of its digital corridor in European territory.