China’s views of Europe: a maturing partnership

Article is part of a special issue ‘Beyond self-perception: the others’ view of the European Union’.

Abstract:

China–EU affairs have acquired a new quality and depth. The growing institutionalization of cooperation between the two bears are witness to this dynamism. These developments have been subject to growing attention from academic and research institutions. However, only a few studies have been carried out with the specific aim of providing an outline of how the EU is perceived in China. This article seeks to start filling this gap by offering an outline of how the EU is perceived by China’s press, political elites and civil society. The article argues that the dynamism with which China and the EU approach each other is a clear signal that both sides see each other as potential allies in a variety of contexts. The absence of hard security conflicts is an important facilitating factor of this process of convergence. However, the USA continues to play an important role in this context both as a stimulating and constraining factor. Therefore, it is appropriate to think of China and the EU as two actors experiencing a more mature relationship in a changed systemic environment.