European Parliamentary Research Service Blog
China
China: Partner or rival? [What Think Tanks are thinking]
This note offers links to recent commentaries, studies and reports from major international think tanks on China, its ties with the EU and related issues. The previous issue on the subject was published in October 2020. Continue reading
Chinese counter-sanctions on EU targets
The EU sanctions against which China retaliated with counter-sanctions were among the first uses of the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (GHRSR) established in December 2020. Continue reading
China’s economic recovery and dual circulation model
After a delayed response to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in late 2019, China has expanded its sophisticated digital surveillance systems to the health sector, linking security and health. Continue reading
China: From partner to rival [What Think Tanks are thinking]
According to analysts and politicians, China’s increasingly autocratic domestic stance and assertive foreign policy are damaging its relations with the European Union. Continue reading
EU–China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment: Levelling the playing field with China [International Agreements in Progress][Policy Podcast]
Lack of reciprocity in access to the Chinese market and the absence of a level playing field for EU investors in China have posed major challenges for EU-China investment relations in recent years, with the negotiation of a comprehensive agreement on investment (CAI) being considered by the EU a key instrument to remedy this state of play. Continue reading
Outcome of EU-China video-summit of 22 June 2020
On Monday 22 June 2020, the EU and China held their 22nd summit, which on this occasion was conducted by video-conference. Continue reading
EU-China relations: Taking stock after the 2020 EU-China Summit
The 22nd EU-China Summit, originally scheduled for March 2020, was postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. While other summits were simply cancelled or postponed indefinitely, the EU and China decided to hold the summit by video-link, on 22 June 2020. Continue reading
Plenary round-up – Brussels, June 2020
The June 2020 plenary session was the fourth conducted with Members participating remotely, although this time a majority were present in Brussels, and using the alternative voting procedure put in place in March by Parliament’s Bureau. Continue reading
China’s democratic neighbours and coronavirus: Protecting populations without lockdowns
North-east Asian countries have deep and historical economic, human and cultural connections with China, based on their geographical proximity to the latter country, and were the first to be exposed to the coronavirus contagion after its initial outbreak. They were not caught unprepared, having dealt with the SARS and the MERS epidemics in recent times. Continue reading
Covid-19 foreign influence campaigns: Europe and the global battle of narratives
The global health crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic – which is currently hitting EU Member States, not least Italy and Spain, particularly hard – raises concern that a combination of disinformation and heavily promoted health diplomacy, echoed by local proxies in Europe, could potentially pave the way for wider influence in other sectors in the wake of the crisis. Continue reading
Plenary round-up – Strasbourg, December 2019
The December plenary session highlights included the election of the European Ombudsman; commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Lisbon Treaty and the Charter of Fundamental Rights becoming legally binding; and the award of the 2019 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Continue reading
Towards a new EU policy approach to China: 21st EU-China Summit – April 2019
With the European Parliament elections set for May 2019, the 21st EU-China Summit has been advanced, to be held in Brussels on 9 April 2019, only nine months after the previous one. Continue reading
The INF Treaty and European defence [What Think Tanks are thinking]
The United States has announced its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, sparking fears of a fresh nuclear arms race between Russia, the United States and China. Continue reading
China [What Think Tanks are thinking]
China’s increasingly autocratic domestic stance and its assertive foreign policy pose a dilemma for European Union policy-makers as to whether to treat the Asian powerhouse as a partner or a rival, or to take a position somewhere in between. Continue reading
Foreign policy and defence challenges [What Think Tanks are Thinking]
The European Union will face increasingly serious foreign policy and defence challenges in 2019. The current Administration in the United States seems to be abandoning its traditional role of the ‘benign protector’ of the rules-based international order. Continue reading
China [What Think Tanks are thinking]
China is a major strategic partner for the European Union, despite divergences on human rights issues, as well as on some economic and foreign policies. Continue reading
President Trump’s trade and international policies [What Think Tanks are thinking]
US President Donald Trump has pushed ahead in recent months with his controversial policies on trade and defence, which critics say could undermine the global rules-based order and create new uncertainties. Continue reading
Global Trendometer – Essays on medium- and long-term global trends – July 2018
The EU faces challenges from both outside and within its borders. Most of these are the symptoms of big underlying trends, and handling them requires foresight. The annual Global Trendometer aims to provide such foresight for decision-makers in the EU, by analysing the changes in these long-term trends. Continue reading
China [What Think Tanks are thinking]
The National People’s Congress has recently confirmed Xi Jinping as China’s President, along with several appointments of his allies to top state jobs. It has also approved amendments to China’s Constitution which, in particular, abolish the limit of two five-year terms for the office of the President, prompting concerns that the country is moving towards a more autocratic system. Continue reading
2018 EU-China Tourism Year
EU-China Tourism Year (ECTY) was launched in Venice on 19 January 2018. This initiative, agreed at the 2017 EU China Summit, aims at supporting the development of new and better travel itineraries, promoting inter-cultural understanding, and enhancing travel and tourism experiences, including greater promotion and more sustainable tourism. Continue reading
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