China
China's diplomatic, military, economic and technological assertiveness, as well as its growing rivalry with the United States, raise certain apprehensions among its neighbors and Europeans alike.
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CPC's 19th National Congress: A Foreign Policy Perspective
As the 19th National Congress is now over, questions about foreign policy implications of China’s leadership reshuffle are raised.
Alice Ekman deciphers the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in foreign policy terms.
U.S. Visions of China: From Henry Kissinger to Donald Trump
Chinese power continues to grow both militarily and economically: its disputed territorial gains in the South China Sea are complemented by its extensive investment initiative in the New Silk Roads through the Eurasian continent.
China and the “Definition Gap”: Shaping Global Governance in Words
Increasingly, China’s diplomacy is using key words commonly used by liberal democracies, but the meaning differs greatly. This evolution is changing the terms of the debate without changing a single term.
The ASEAN Economic Community’s Original Integration Model
When it was created 50 years ago, ASEAN's (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) economic ambitions were rather modest. However, up until 1992 it progressively integrated the economies of its member states.
The ASEAN Security Community: Progress and Impediments
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) strives to deal with security problems in an inclusive and flexible way. In 2003 it established a Security Community which has since expanded through several institutions and partnerships.
Three Years of China’s New Silk Roads: From Words to (Re)action?
More than three years have already passed since China’s new silk roads were launched by President Xi Jinping. When he first mentioned the idea in an autumn 2013 speech in Kazakhstan, questions quickly emerged on the meaning of this general concept, which soon became widely promoted through a large-scale and well-coordinated public diplomacy strategy both in and outside China.
What Does China's 'New Asian Security Concept' Mean for the US?
A closer look at China’s vision for remaking Asian security, and what the United States can do about it. In October, China hosted the seventh Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, during which Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin outlined a framework for a regional security architecture to meet the emerging challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
Europe and China's New Silk Roads
As China elaborates on the design of its "Belt and Road Initiative" (OBOR), the place of Europe within this project is slowly but surely taking shape.
New Chinese Activism in the Mediterranean
Chinese presence in the Mediterranean is increasing: propositions for cooperation forums with various southern European countries, investment in port terminals, military maneuvering, evacuation of citizens, etc.
China and Global Economic Order: A discreet yet undeniable contestation
Having long remained a passive presence within multilateral economic organisations, China recently changed its stance when the United States was faced with a major financial crisis.
China’s Military Deployments in the Gulf of Aden: Anti-Piracy and Beyond
The reason for the deployment of a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) “anti-piracy task force” in the Gulf of Aden (GoA), a key area for the Chinese economy, was obvious in 2008. However, as the pirate activity has faded away since 2012, the objectives of the PLAN in GoA became unclear.
At the 2016 Xiangshan Forum, China Outlines a Vision for Regional Security Governance
Beijing has a plan for a new regional security architecture, and it’s not based around alliances.
Brazil: the Harder they Fall
During the 2000s, Brazil's economy took off, with growth driven primarily by strong Chinese demand for commodities. Within a decade, the Brazilian middle class increased from 30% to 50% of the population.
Energy Relations between Russia and China: Playing Chess with the Dragon
Post-sanctions Russia-China energy relations: what expectations?
China in Djibouti: A military base with Chinese characteristics?
Last February, the Chinese Defense Ministry confirmed the launch of the construction of a Chinese military base in Djibouti. For a long time, Chinese officials had insisted that China would never build military bases or to station troops abroad.
Mapping EU-China relations from the bottom up
Mapping Europe-China Relations: A bottom-up approach -- a recent report of the European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC) to which Alice Ekman and John Seaman largely contributed -- was summarized in Politico's Pro Morning Trade newsletter.
The International Development of Chinese Think Tanks
Alice Ekman gave her opinion on the international development of Chinese think tanks at a roundtable in Shanghai, organized by the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, Fudan University and Phoenix International Think Tank.
Beijing tightens control of foreign NGOs
The Chinese government recently passed a law to bring foreign NGOs under stricter control.
China Gets French Wine in Exchange for Chemicals on First Run by ‘New Silk Road’ Train
The first freight train from Wuhan, in China, to Lyon, in France, reached its destination Thursday, carrying a cargo of mechanical, electrical, and chemical products — goods that are generally transported between the two countries by ship.
Scientific Cooperation in the South China Sea: A vector for China's security diplomacy in Southeast Asia?
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The European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC) is a gathering of China experts from a selection of European research institutes. It is devoted to the policy-oriented study of Chinese foreign policy and relations between China and European countries as well as China and the EU. It facilitates regular exchanges among participating researchers with a view to deepening the understanding within the European policy and research community and the broader public of how Europe, as a complex set of actors, relates with China and how China’s development and evolving global role is likely to impact the future of Europe. The network’s discussions and analyses take a decidedly ‘bottom-up’ approach, accounting for the various aspects of bilateral relations between European countries and China, and the points of convergence and divergence among EU member states in order to examine EU-China relations in a realistic and comprehensive way. The views presented in ETNC reports are the sole responsibility of the signed authors and do not in any way represent the views of all members of the ETNC, its participating institutions, nor the institutions with which the authors are affiliated.
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