Any analysis of the current state of international affairs would require devoting a great deal of its efforts to the examination of the People’s Republic of China,its policies, its capabilities, its approaches, as well as its position regarding a wide range of issues. Not in vain, the People’s Republic of China is a rising power whose attitudes and policies will have a direct impact on the future development of the international system and the international relations within. Thus, the importance of the People’s Republic of China status as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the impressive growth of both its GDP and its Defence Budget over the last few years and its relatively good performance through the global financial and economic crisis are all factors that might recommend to pay attention to the evolution of this country.

The European Union is China’s largest trading partner, and Chinese views of the EU are of crucial importance in shaping how the relationship will develop in the future, especially as the new Chinese leadership takes power. This book presents the findings of an extensive research project into the views of both elite groups, in government, business, academia, media and social activists, and the Chinese public towards Europe and the European Union. It considers attitudes on a wide range of subjects, and reaches a number of interesting, encouraging conclusions. These include the fact that as Chinese people’s knowledge of, and travel to, Europe becomes more extensive, Chinese attitudes towards Europe become more positive; that Chinese people have a high regard for European culture and a high degree of trust in Europeans; though there are significant differences between different Chinese groups concerning controversial issues in the China-EU relationship. Overall, the book concludes that the Chinese public opinion supports a strong bilateral relation.

This book is a comprehensive reference book and commentary on basic documents about relations between the EU and the People's Republic of China from 1949 to the present. It contains all significant official and unofficial documents in English and Chinese about EU-China relations since the founding of the PRC in 1949. Since the opening-up of China in 1979, and especially after the establishment of the EU in 1992, relations between the EU and China have developed apace. Today the EU and China are 'strategic partners', with a very broad-based relationship, extending far beyond trade to encompass a growing number of important economic, political, social and cultural domains. The relationship is certain to gain in importance with increasing globalisation, EU expansion, Chinese membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the renewal and development of China, and changes in the international trading system and international politics. This book provides an indispensable foundation for teaching, research, policy-making and advising on EU-China relations. It includes both documents originally published in English and English translations of documents previously available only in Chinese, French or Portuguese. Essential to every library, it will also be required reading for students, teachers, researchers, policy-makers, legal practitioners and government officials in the EU, China, the United States and elsewhere.

EUROPEAN STUDIES: An Interdisciplinary Series in European Culture, History and Politics -- Contents -- Authors in this Volume -- Introduction -- THE CONTEXT OF EU-CHINA RELATIONS AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS DILEMMA -- Eu-China Relations: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives -- The Development of Eu-China Relations -- The Eu and China in the Context of Inter-regionalism -- Duality - Dialogue - Discourse: Some Perspectives on Human Rights in Eu-China Relations -- Sport and Politics: The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games -- ASPECTS OF THE GEO-POLITICAL SETTING OF EU-CHINA INTERACTION -- China Views Europe: A Multi-polar Perspective -- The European Union and China: Indian Perceptions and Perspectives -- Russia's Closer Ties with China: The Geo-politics of Energy and the Implications for the European Union -- The European Union, China and the United States: Complex Interdependence and Bi-multilateralism in Commercial Relations -- The European Union's Economic Ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan) -- ISSUES - POLICIES - PERCEPTIONS -- China, News Media Freedom and the West: Present and Future Perspectives -- Trade and Investment in the Relations Between the European Union and the People's Republic of China -- Eu-china Foreign Direct Investment: A Double-sided Perspective -- China's Search for Energy Security and Eu-China Relations -- Recent Chinese Practice In the Maintenance of Maritime Security and the European Experience -- Conclusions: Towards an Eu-China Research-Agenda 2010

This accessible text offers a comprehensive analysis of the European Union (EU)-China relationship, as one of the most important in global politics today. Both are major players on the world stage, accounting for 30% of trade and nearly a quarter of the world's population. This text shows how, despite many differences in political systems and values, China and the EU have developed such a close, regular set of interactions at multiple levels: from political-strategic, to economic, and individual. The authors start with an historical overview of the domestic politics and foreign policy apparatus of each partner to show the context in which external relations are devised. From this foundation, each key dimension of the relationship is analysed, from trade and monetary policy, security, culture and society. The authors show the relative merits of different theoretical perspectives and outline what is next for this complex, ever-changing relationship. At every step, the success of each partner in persuading the other of changing their position(s) for key strategic interests is explored. What emerges is a multifaceted picture of relations between two sides that are fundamentally different kinds of actors in the international system, yet have many mutual interests and a common stake in the stability of global governance. The first major text to offer an accessible introduction to the multifaceted nature of EU-China relations, this book is an ideal companion for upper undergraduate and postgraduate students on Politics, International Relations and European Studies courses.

Two major themes in contemporary international relations—Sino-European relations and global governance—are both addressed in this volume. In its focused analysis of Sino-European relations, global governance serves as both a topic for analysis and a conceptual framework to join together individual chapters. Featuring perspectives from a diverse group of established and promising young scholars from China, Europe, and elsewhere, this book has important implications for Chinese foreign policy, the European Union, the future of global governance, and international relations at large.

China's rise on the international scene over the past few years has correlated with its exponential economic growth. The European Union (EU), the world's largest development aid provider, has been feeling the heat of Beijing's closer ties with Africa. As a result, the EU's overall policy-making towards Africa has suffered from a loss of credibility and this has been further exposed both by the success of China's investments in Africa, and by the favourable response that China's investment proposals have received from African leaders. Dividing the book into five parts, the editors and an outstanding line up of Chinese and European contributors guide the reader through the complexities of China's rising influence in Africa, but they also analyse if and how the EU should adapt to this. "

China, the European Union and Global Governance examines the key determinants of European and Chinese approaches to the restructuring of global governance systems. Using a multidisciplinary method, this collection of chapters analyses four distinct fields that are key for both China and the EU and in the development of their relations and future cooperation: the global trading system, the international monetary system, climate and energy policy and international security. In the context of ChinaÍs growing role in global governance and of EU_China cooperation, these contributions emphasize strategies, prospects and objectives of both actors. They outline possible avenues for an enhanced partnership in light of the changing global order, which implies a rethinking of the existing multilateral structures. This interdisciplinary study will appeal to researchers and scholars interested in global governance, European foreign policy, Chinese foreign policy, EU_China relations, as well as trade, the international economy and climate change policies. Postgraduate students in international relations, international political economy, European studies and Chinese studies, as well as policymakers in the areas of external relations and EU_China relations, will also find much to interest them in this book.

This book explores key elements of European Union (EU) engagement with the Belt Road Initiative (BRI), drawing on the expertise of leading practitioners and scholars of EU-China relations. Under the theme of discerning the BRI and its nexus with the EU, chapters examine the nature of the BRI as China’s approach to global governance and consider how BRI intersects with the EU as a very different regional integration project. Under the theme of BRI factors in EU law and policy, chapters examine the BRI as a factor in specific domains of EU law and policy, including investment, finance, the environment and the COVID-19 pandemic and consider EU responses. Under the theme of EU Member State experiences, chapters present a series of case studies of individual Member States, their engagement with the BRI and ongoing policy debates. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of International Relations, EU external relations, Chinese public policy and foreign relations, European studies and security studies as well as policymakers dealing with China in EU and Member State institutions.

Based on original research, and bringing together expert contributors, this book provides a critical analysis of the current law and policy between the EU and China, both internally and internationally. Covering key topics on the subject, this book draws together diverse perspectives into a single collection, and is an invaluable tool for both scholars and practitioners of trade and investment law, as well as human rights and environmental law and policy.