Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger | Sean Gallup/Getty Images Oettinger: China is the ‘biggest winner’ from EU’s Brexit ‘paralysis’ Brexit has ‘paralyzed’ the bloc and allowed Beijing to advance, European budget commissioner says.

The Brexit deadlock has paralyzed Europe and bolstered China, European Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger said.

In an interview with Die Welt published Monday, Oettinger said the prolonged discussions over the U.K.'s exit from the EU has "strengthened others," such as China.

"We have been dealing with Brexit for over two years now. That's costing time and effort, nerves and money. There are so many more important things to do," he said.

"The biggest winner [of Brexit] is China. The Chinese can advance their strategy without disruption and leap everywhere in the world at the opportunities that Europe fails to seize because it's so preoccupied with itself."

Oettinger said he does not "dare" to make any prediction regarding the eventual outcome of Brexit, but added that in the event of a long extension he does not rule out "that the Brits ultimately revoke their request to leave."

Decisions would be made at the extraordinary Council meeting on Wednesday, he noted, adding: "By April 10, the Brits must finally know what they want — and not just what they don't want."

Besides Brexit, the commissioner also identified other areas of concern for the EU.

European companies are lagging behind in areas such as 5G and artificial intelligence, Oettinger warned, calling for a "digital union" and a common European industrial policy.

He said that the EU needs more industrial partnerships and trade agreements, noting that the bloc is in talks with Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay).

Describing the failed TTIP agreement with the U.S. as a "missed chance," he said that striking a trade deal with Washington is still possible, but that it would "look very different from TTIP and focus on certain areas."

On the rise of populism, he said he is confident that Euroskeptic parties would not win more than 20 percent of the vote in next month's European election.

He is optimistic, he said, because "people notice and understand that the EU is needed so that individual states do not become a plaything for China or the U.S."