London (CNN) -- When I was driving through Poland last year, all the talk was about a Chinese company's failure to complete a major motorway project. The contract was wrestled away from the Chinese and the Poles finished it themselves. The details, denials and counter-claims aren't important for this article; far more interesting is the impact of any China-led project in Europe. Any news on such projects -- good or bad -- makes headlines. But the splash is bigger when such projects fail or when people starting mumbling about Chinese influence. What China does in Europe matters greatly, though rarely do I hear or read a positive story about China's influence.
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CNN's Jim Boulden writes he hardly hears positive stories about China's influence in Europe
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Europe's and China's economies are intertwined
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A change of leadership in Beijing will not have much impact in Europe
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The Chinese government's recent trip to central Europe revealed that the hiccup in @placeholder has not slowed China's plan to invest heavily in the former communist states.
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Rising wages and increased worker benefits might raise the prices of goods exported to @placeholder.
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It cannot expect its companies to grow in the @placeholder market, then be surprised when enriched Chinese companies come shopping for European companies to buy.
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@placeholder needs to understand that it will take time for Europe to get comfortable with China's investments.