European and American Approaches toward China as an Emerging Power

Abstract

China’s integration into the existing international Order constitutes one of the great challenges of the new Century for both the United States and Europe,1 who share basic commongoalswithregardtoChina.First,theywouldlike China to gradually integrate into the existing international Order without causing any major disruptions. Second, they want China’s political System to evolve into a more open, pluralistic System that is based on the rule of law and allows for greater political participation of its people, while guaranteeing their individual rights. Lastly, they ex- pect China to continue its economic development and re- forms. Despite their largely similar goals, however, the United States and Europe approach China with different perspectives, methods, and resources. In the after- math of the Tiananmen Square massacre on 4 June 1989, and especially during the Clinton administration, the re- lations of the United States and Europe with China have undergone various cyclical crises caused primarily, but not exclusively, by China’s human rights policies. Trade, the Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and a num- ber of other issues have also played significant roles and have offen combined to place China high on the political agendas of Washington and the European capitals. These recurring crises suggest that the United States and Europe re-examine how they best deal with China and whether closer coordination of their policies would benefit both. To be very clear from the outset, the following art- icle does not advocate the coordination of European and American policies in Order to better “contain“ China. Nothing could be further from its intentions. On the con- trary, it examines ways of effectively addressing legitimate Western policy concerns vis-ä-vis China, while at the same time treating China as a partner with equally legitimate aspirations to become a great power.