Demystifying the EU's China Policy 2.0

Demystifying the EU’s China Policy 2.0

As the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Sweden on May 12 addressed the future trajectories of the EU’s China policy, the upcoming EU leaders’ summit on June 29-30 will feature EU-China relations as a prominent topic. The EU has described its vision towards China as a somewhat broad triptych: “a partner for cooperation and negotiation, an economic competitor, and a systemic rival.” While the concepts of de-coupling and de-risking have dominated the discourse on the EU’s China policy, it appears that EU leaders will prioritize de-risking. However, there is evidence to suggest that characterizing China as a partner, competitor, and rival is questionable, and the feasibility of de-risking is uncertain given the EU’s ambition to attain strategic autonomy.

On May 16, European Guanxi welcomed Noah Barkin to argue for what the EU’s new China policy should entail. As the webinar took place shortly after the Gymnich meeting in Sweden, it critiqued the outcomes of the EU foreign ministers' meeting. Specifically, the webinar questioned to what extent the nascent concept of de-risking is relevant to daily interactions between Brussels and Beijing, how it aligns with the ‘competitor-partner-rival’ formula, what potentials and risks the US’s China policy poses the EU, and what China’s role is in the war in Ukraine.

Noah Barkin is a Senior Advisor in Rhodium Group's China practice, based in Berlin, where he focuses on Europe-China relations and transatlantic China policy. Additionally, Mr. Barkin serves as a Visiting Senior Fellow in the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States creator of the popular "Watching China in Europe" newsletter.

Follow European Guanxi on social media!