This Policy
Paper is a contribution of Agatha Kratz and Jonas Parello-Plesner (ECFR), to the project Think Global – Act European (TGAE). Thinking strategically
about the EU’s external action directed by Notre Europe –
Jacques Delors Institute (report available in May 2013, dir. Elvire Fabry, Senior Research Fellow, Notre
Europe – Jacques Delors Institute).

There are many areas in which the EU tries and wishes
to promote its interests with a rising and increasingly powerful China. In the
diplomatic field, for example, the EU has tried to include China on a number of
fronts, with various degrees of success. Among these efforts are the EU’s
attempt to involve China further in the resolution of the Syrian conflict, or
the EU’s push for a firmer attitude from China on nuclear anti-proliferation,
especially with regards to Iran and North Korea.

Nevertheless, as China and the EU grow increasingly
dependent economically, economic interests have taken the lead, and are now
central to EU action. At a time of economic hardship, especially in Europe,
economic and financial issues matter more than ever, and Europe needs to
redefine its strategy in order to promote its interests with China and ensure
that both parties benefit from an increasingly close and diversified
relationship.

Before the publication of the final report presenting the key recommendations of the 16 think tanks involved in the project, 5 series of policy papers address the following key challenges: migration, EU neighbourhood, CSDP, strategic resources and economic policy .

Go to the other contributions of the economic policy series >>

This project is led with the contribution of