The Chinese Perspectives on the EU’s Policy towards China

EU–China relations have encountered increasing difficulties in recent years. A group of Chinese experts on European studies have explored in depth the factors that have influenced the EU’s reorientation of its China policy, as well as the policies adopted by the EU that affect the most the relationship with China. These analyses offer Europeans a valuable and different perspective, revealing how the Chinese perceive the EU and the dynamics of EU–China relations. To conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the perspectives of Chinese experts, this study has examined the publications on EU–China relations since 2019 by Chinese think tank experts and scholars, with a specific focus on the Chinese interpretation of the EU’s label of China as a “systemic rival” and the “securitisation” of EU policies in its engagement with China.

Paper prepared in the framework of the EUDIPLO network, October 2023.