The EU and China: In Search of Common Ground?
Instructor Name
Pierre ANDRIEU
Instructor Biography
Former French diplomat (in charge of China at the Asian Directorate of the Quai d’Orsay, Cultural Counsellor in Moscow, Ambassador to Tajikistan, Moldova, Eastern Europe and the Black Sea, and co-president of the Minsk group in charge of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict), Pierre Andrieu teaches geopolitics in several French and foreign universities. He is the author of a book on 'The Geopolitics of Russian-Chinese relations' (in French, PUF editions).
Course Description
The relations between Europe and China are old and multifaceted. Without going back to the Silk Road, commercial and intellectual contacts were enriched from the 17th century, notably with the arrival of the Jesuits at the Imperial Court. Then exchanges of all kinds with Europe contributed, sometimes dramatically, to reaffirming China's eminent place in the world. From their inception, United Europe and the PRC have maintained growing economic and political relations commensurate with their respective importance.
However, the deterioration of the international situation, caused in particular by the war in Ukraine, has made the bilateral relationship more complicated. Even if the EU is not equidistant between Washington and Beijing, the assertion of its sovereignty and its strategic autonomy should not lead it to systematically follow the Americans. Within the United States/China/EU triangle, the Europeans must position themselves to defend their autonomous place and values, that means maintain good and constructive relations with China.
Learning Outcomes
The objective of the course is to propose a combination of a practical approach, on one side, an a historical and theoretical approach on other side, by a practitioner of European affairs and of relations with China.
And also to introduce the students to major tendencies and trends in the bilateral relations between Europe and its member States, and China.
Course Schedule
Lecture | Topic (2.5 teaching hours) |
1 | Reciprocal presentation of the professor and the students: discussion of the course content and active student participation. History: first contacts between Europe and China, the role of the Christian missionaries (Jesuits) at the Emperors’ court (Michele Ruggieri and Matteo Ricci, 16th-17th). |
2 | History : shocks with Western imperialisms (including Russian): forced opening of China to the external world; westernization and reforms until the founding of the Chinese Republic (1911). |
3 | History : influence of the European ideas on the Chinese revolutionary movement, mainly conveyed through Russia (Marxism) and the USA (liberalism); consequences of WWI for China. |
4 | History : recall of the stages of the European construction: establishment of formal relations with China after the official recognition of the PRC in 1964 by the French President General De Gaulle. |
5 | Chinese reforms and opening policy during the 1990s and the 2000s. |
6 | China as economic opportunity for the EU and its Member States: China joins the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. |
7 | Deterioration of the Euro-Chinese relations at the end of 2000 : the geopolitical situation became tense since Brussels considered China as “a partner for cooperation, an economic competitor and systemic rival” (2019). |
8 | Despite the Brussels policy of “de-risking”, need for the EU and China to maintain and strengthen their reciprocated economic and technological engagements. |
9 | The war in Ukraine as a direct threat to EU security. |
10 | Need for the Europeans, allied but not aligned with the US, to maintain their strategic autonomy within the US/China/EU triangle. |
Reading List
History : “China, A New History” by John K. Fairbank and Merle Goldman.
Publications of the European Commission, the EEAS, Jacques Delors Institute (Paris) and Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics).
“The European Union and China, 1949-2008: Basic Documents and Commentary” by Francis Snyder (Editor), Qianfan Zhang (Series Editor), Xin Zhang (Series Editor)
Student Assessment
Exam 50%
Presentation 40%
Active participation 10%
