Cooperation underpins China-EU relations

Relations between nations are always fraught with complexity and so are those between CHINA and the EU.

Chinese president Xi Jinping's recent tour to three European countries witnessed Italy signing up to CHINA's signature Belt and Road Initiative and CHINA inking a 30 billion euros airbus deal with France. While such a result carries a lot of weight as the Asian giant is seen inching closer with two important European countries, it has also stoked another wave of vigilant sentiment on Western media against CHINA's growing clout.

However, president Xi's meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the president of European Commission Junker on Tuesday suggests that the European leaders are way more positive towards cooperation with CHINA than the media portrayed them to be.

Regarding the controversial BRI project, according to South CHINA Morning Post, Chancellor Merkel was open to the possibility of Europe coming on board, saying it is an important project and that they are seeing it "as a good visualization of interaction, interrelation and interdependence."

Chinese president Xi Jinping attends the closing ceremony of the Global Governance Forum co-hosted by CHINA and France in Paris, March 26. /Xinhua Photo

The European Commission president Jean-Claude Junker's words also conveyed plenty of optimism on CHINA-EU relations. On March 23, the EU released a reporton its relations with CHINA, titled "EU-CHINA:A Strategic Outlook,"which labels the country as "a systemic rival" and "an economic competitor." The report has fueled the speculation that the EU has significantly hardened its position on its second largest trading partner. However, during the meeting, Junker clarified that saying CHINA is a rival does not suggest ill feelings towards the country. On the contrary, such a statement implies that two sides share similar ambitions.

Therefore, even though the rosy rhetoric during leaders' meeting should not obscure the underlying tensions between the two sides, it is conspicuous that CHINA and EU do have a lot of commonalities that would require the two sides to deepen cooperation. Such a conclusion is, again, evident through European leaders' and president Xi's call for upholding multilateralism and maintaining "mutual trust" during their meeting.

The common ground for cooperation can also be seen by examining EU's policies on CHINA. For example, even though, from CHINA's point of view, the EU report is filled with rhetoric that tries to dictate how CHINA should develop, it does also mention areas where the interests of the two parties converge. For instance, as CHINA was one of the major forces contributing to the signing of the Iran Nuclear Deal, the EU needs CHINA's support of the deal in ensuring its effective implementation.

The report also recognizes that "CHINA's growing domestic market and economic weight" that presents ample opportunities European companies. Furthermore, fighting climate change is another area where there appears a strong consensus and the two sides could join forces in advancing their common interests.

On the Chinese side, cooperation with the EU is also highly valued. Last December CHINA issued a white paper, the third such document since 2003, elaborating its policies on the bloc and outlining areas where CHINA needs to seek cooperation with the EU, which include those in political, trade, scientific innovation, sustainable development and social fields.

Chinese president Xi Jinping meets with French president Macron in Nice, France, March 24 /Xinhua Photo

It took over a decade for CHINA and the EU to reach the current status of relationship where cooperation as well as frictions have underpinned bilateral engagement. According to Qu Bing, an associate professor of the Institute of European Studies, CHINA Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, following the end of the Cold War, European countries were allowed more freedom in their dealings with CHINA given the collapse of the bi-polar world order. Thus, since the establishment of the European Union in 1993, the bloc has strengthened its economic link with the country. In 2003 the bilateral relationship was upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

However, the eruption of the 2008 financial crisis pushed Europe into an unfortunate path of recession. Since the European debt crisis broke out in 2009, CHINA has stepped up its investment in the continent and acquired a number of important EU companies. Along with the increasing involvement in Europe's economy is the growing concern over CHINA's influence and its economic policies.

Fortunately the two sides did not indulge them too much in their disagreements. The demands put forward by the EU to CHINA do not have to become a stumbling block in pushing the bilateral relationship forward. Friction between countries are common, not unique to CHINA and the EU in any sense. Who argues otherwise would be advised to look at the mounting anti-EU feelings among many Brits during the ongoing Brexit process, as these people accuse the EU of being utterly anti-democratic and anti-UK. Therefore, there's no need to overplay the divergences in opinions. Instead, CHINA and the EU should look past division and engage with each other in more constructive cooperation.

Further, regarding EU leaders' continuous demands on reciprocity in bilateral cooperation, CHINA has announced a slew of economic liberation policies with its foreign investment law formally banning technology transfer and widening market access for foreign companies.

One thing should be certain: CHINA does want to benefit more from the global economy and catch up with developed countries in the economic and technology sphere. With the internal needs to develop, the country is adjusting its policies. The change may not happen at the pace the West wants but it is heading in the right direction. Even though the conflicts will not diminish any time soon the two sides can indeed find a lot of common ground.

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