China

Building Bridges: Post-Pandemic Opportunities for Cooperating on Sino-EU Infrastructure Initiatives

As the world recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic and the global order is shifting, new opportunities are arising for cooperation and enhanced coordination on international infrastructure development. This EIAS Briefing Paper examines the potential and risks for collaboration between China and Europe on their respective connectivity initiatives, and assesses potential challenges, pitfalls, as well as pathways to accomplish this. This is done by (1) illustrating the potential and risks of China’s Belt and Road Initiative; (2) explaining the impacts and changes that have emerged since the pandemic; (3) examining the other actors’ connectivity and infrastructure initiatives, including the EU’s Global Gateway; (4) listing the modes for cooperation; and (5) recommending channels through which to overcome challenges associated with coordination on infrastructure initiatives.

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Germany’s New China Strategy and its Implications for EU-China Relations

On 13 July 2023 Germany released its first-ever China Strategy, of which its inception has been driven by the new geopolitical equilibrium between Berlin and Beijing. China, Germany’s largest trading partner, has become a more assertive actor at the global stage and “as a result of this, we need to change our approach” Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock declared at the presentation of the long-awaited paper.

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Understanding and Engaging China in the Fight Against Climate Change: Perspective for the EU

The looming climate crisis has generated a pressing need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Engaging China in the fight against climate change will be a crucial element in attaining this objective. China’s commitment in climate action has also grown considerably, as global climate governance has even become one of the country’s prototypical discursive frames in constructing its new international identity.

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EU Digital Dialogue and Cooperation with China: The Way Forward?

On the 24th March 2023 the Cyber Security Association of China and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China co-hosted a hybrid event titled the “China-Europe Track II Digital Dialogue Plan” in which experts and representatives from Chinese and European universities, think tanks, research institutions, hospitals and associations took part in a series of panel discussions designed to identify best practice and ways forward in digital cooperation between the EU and China.

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The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s 22nd Annual Summit: A Timely Reminder of the Importance of Central Asia’s Role in Geopolitics

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held its 22nd annual summit on 15-16 September 2022 in Uzbekistan’s historical city of Samarkand. The summit gathered its member’s leaders in person for the first time since 2019. In light of the current global political and economic uncertainties, the gathering attracted worldwide attention while hitting the international headlines.

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Contribution of EIAS Director Lin Goethals to the ESSCA Workshop “Business as Unusual: New Approaches to EU-China Relations”

On 26-27 September 2022 the ESSCA School of Management EU*Asia Institute organised a Workshop “Business as Unusual: New Approaches to EU-China Relations” at the ESSCA Campus in Angers and online. A variety of experts on EU-China from both Europe and China participated in the workshop. EIAS Director Lin Goethals gave a presentation on “A post-pandemic re-assessment of EU-China Relations”.

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EU Digital Diplomacy in China

The exclusive network environment, the distinct social media ecosystem and differences in culture and values pose a challenge for EU digital public diplomacy in China. Facing such challenges, how can the EUDC represent the EU more effectively on Chinese social media platforms, and apply the right communication channels?

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