Germany fears Chinese influence in the gas sector, similar to Austria, where a Chinese company owns shares in key pipelines.

Austria faces significant Chinese influence in the gas sector through the State Grid Corporation of China, which owns shares in key pipelines. This is becoming a concern for Germany, which is looking into State Grid's possible acquisition of a stake in Open Grid Europe. Experts warn that such investments could give China considerable geopolitical leverage over gas supplies to Europe, raising questions about the security of critical infrastructure.