Dashed Hopes - EU-China Relations after the EU's 2006 Communication on China

Abstract

The latest EU policy paper on China published in October 2006 reflects European concerns about the ramifications of China’s rise in an unvarnished fashion. It therefore aroused widespread discontent in the Chinese academic and diplomatic community. This paper describes the EU’s changed perception of its Chinese counterpart. Dissenting from the views of Chinese critics, it will be argued that the EU still only has a vague idea of its role in Asian security and that the EU’s strategy towards China is dominated by its economic interests. That means the recent annoyance was primarily induced by economic problems and dashed hopes about the EU’s capacities to mould the other side. Consequently, the Chinese side can actively contribute to mending the relationship by taking European concerns seriously and by levelling the economic playing field.