China: Council Info and EU Publications

The European Council continued its strategic discussion on the EU’s relations with China and reaffirmed the EU’s multifaceted policy approach towards China, where it is simultaneously a partner, a competitor and a systemic rival. Despite their different political and economic systems, the European Union and China have a shared interest in pursuing constructive and stable relations, anchored in respect for the rules-based international order, balanced engagement and reciprocity.

Includes information on the oral report on the EU Leaders’ meeting with President Xi Jinping on 14 September, the signing of the agreement on Geographical Indications, the EU-China Comprehensive Investment Agreement (CAI), human rights and assuming assume greater responsibility in dealing with global challenges.

The Council discussed China and adopted the EU strategy on China for the coming years.

To evaluate the European Union’s (EU) policy framework towards China, this study analyses the varied facets of bilateral relations and the EU’s approach towards China, including its policy of de-risking, together with issues relating to China’s domestic politics and foreign policy. It highlights the need for the EU to adopt a coherent vision and a comprehensive and consistent long-term China strategy that can guide its future actions towards China and on the world stage. Based on its findings, it also provides a series of specific recommendations for the EU on the numerous topics analysed in the study.

The EU is operating an increasingly complex geopolitical environment. It has been confronting a sequence of shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Geopolitical tensions are on the rise, with global actors – notably China and the US – deploying aggressive strategies to secure investments and technology leadership. Trade disruptions are increasingly likely and the risk of weaponization by third countries of the EU’s strategic dependencies results in economic security concerns. In this context, the EU aims to de-risk – not de-couple – from China. On 30 March 2023, the Commission President put forward a vision on how the EU should navigate this complex reality, in particular when it comes to its relationship with China: de-risk, not de-couple.

China’s footprint in European critical assets has grown steadily over time, without any centralised mechanism that could give the European Union (EU) and Member State agencies visibility and scrutiny over projects of strategic significance for Europe’s defence and security. China’s footprint poses specific challenges to Europe’s efforts to protect its critical infrastructure. China’s party-led political system does not allow clear distinctions between commercial, political and military interests, often viewing Chinese state and private companies’ international activities as instruments helping the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) expand its influence in foreign countries and undermine geopolitical rivals.

This report is a factsheet developed as part of a series of country-level trade fiches feeding into a module of the Raw Materials Information System (RMIS) dedicated to the analysis of raw materials in the context of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and its impact on the EU's strategic dependencies. It provides a data-based overview of China’s trade in primary, processed and secondary non-food materials, focusing on its trade relations with the EU.

The theme and its in-depth treatment is neither a run-of-themill analysis of EU Trade Policy, nor of EU-China cooperative relations. Trade policy specialists do not deal with bilateral cooperation, with some occasional sectoral exceptions. The debates in the EU circuits are almost entirely focussed on trade negotiations and mutually agreed 'hard' obligations. We show that there is more and that, in the case of EU-China, it matters for sustainable development whilst supporting an important plank of EU trade policy.

This paper identifies the tactics and strategy used by China to expand its circle of friends. It also assesses the prospects for Beijing’s coalition-building endeavour, based on an analysis of its achievements to date, as well as the setbacks it has encountered along the way.

The EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and its strategic partnerships in Asia spell out areas of cooperation where the EU can contribute in deeds, not words, to remain a regional player in its own right and capabilities. Adding an Indo-Pacific leg to the Transatlantic one would strengthen both the EU and the US but needs reciprocal efforts and recognition. The EU approach strives to avoid binary choices for its members as well as partners in the US-China competition with the goal to foster stability. Pursuing its interests, the EU needs partners in the Indo-Pacific and has to devote the necessary means of its own liking to achieve them, also referred to as strategic autonomy.

Horizon Europe, the EU’s Framework Programme for research and innovation succeeding Horizon 2020, will run from 2021 to 2027 with a total budget of €95.5 billion (or about CNY735 billion). It helps researchers and innovators to develop and deploy their ideas and to create new products and services. It supports mobility of researchers as well as excellent science by teaming up the best talent and equipping them with world-class infrastructures. This brochure explains the contents of the Framework Programme Horizon Europe and intends to be a practical guide for Chinese researchers to better understand the options offered by Europe to be involved in its various funding instruments.

The re-emergence of China as a great power and the emerging US-China competition have marked the return of great power rivalry in world politics, with wide-ranging implications for Europeans. In particular, three overarching trends have shaped the ways in which Europeans have confronted China’s rise. First, in the context of the shifting centre of strategic gravity of world politics from the Atlantic to the Asia-Pacific, the gradual retrenchment of the United States (US) from Europe since the end of the Cold War – coupled with growing doubts about the credibility of US commitments to the continent – has incited Europeans to provide for their own security.

After analysing the effects of COVID-19 on China’s global image, the paper focuses on the importance of «image» for China and its quest for prestige and image-building throughout history, with special reference to the communist experience. In the last part, it reflects on the opportunity that vaccine diplomacy may represent for China to recover its reputation

The paper aims to argue that a dichotomist approach on human rights is a major problem in relations between the United States and China. The argument has been built through a case-study on US-China public discourses on COVID-19 and human rights, which posits that a dichotomist approach has prevented an objective reading of the pandemic processes underway and thus influenced the health crisis’ management on both sides. Furthermore, the paper affirms the need for an historical perspective on the origins of the international human rights regime, in order to weaken the hegemony of the dichotomist approach in the literature, in public discourses and in national policies.

Policy background, bilateral science and technology agreements, funding, projects and contact.

On 30 December 2020, the EU and China concluded in principle the negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI). The agreement grants EU investors a greater level of access to China’s market. In the agreement, China has committed to ensure fairer treatment for EU companies, allowing them to compete on a more level playing field in China. These commitments cover state-owned enterprises, transparency of subsidies, and rules against forced technology transfer. China also agreed to provisions on sustainable development, including commitments on climate and forced labour.

Learn about why the EU negotiated an investment agreement with China; what's in the agreement; how will the agreement be implemented and enforced; and what are the next steps.

Milestones and documents about the EU's China agreement.

The European Union, China and the USA are the world’s three largest trading partners.
The EU is committed to open trading relations with China. China is expected to conform to fair trade practices, to respect intellectual property rights, and to meet its obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The EU and China are committed to a comprehensive strategic partnership, as expressed in the EU-China 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation. Learn about the EU's priorities, impact and programmes with China

Posts relating to China by the EPRS.

The delegation has 37 full members and an equal number of substitutes. It is one of the Parliament's largest delegations reflecting the fact that the EU's relationship with China is one of the most significant political and economic relationships.

Information on the EU-China strategy, summits, agreements, useful links and speeches.

The European Parliament's legislative train schedule monitors the progress of legislative files. This page focuses on the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (EU-China CAI).

The European Union and China are committed to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The balance of challenges and opportunities presented by China has shifted over time. At the same time, the EU and China should work together more closely to tackle global and regional challenges and remain committed to engagement. We are two of the three largest economies and traders in the world. Therefore, ensuring reciprocity, achieving a level-playing field, and addressing asymmetries in the relationship is a matter of priority.

Contains information on basic framework for relations ; political relations & human rights ; economic relations, trade and investment ; environment, climate, energy, maritime and fisheries and transport ; research & innovation ; digital policies ; International development cooperation.

An outline of the relations between the European Union (EU) and China. Information on the delegation of the European Union to China.