The revelation of half-century China-EU relations

By Wang Yiwei

As the dual engines of economic globalization, the twin pillars of political multipolarization and two distinct civilizations embodying global diversity, China-EU relations over the past half century reveal three historical lessons that bridge ideals and reality.

First, bilateral relations have transcended eras and endured across civilizations. Historically framing East-West civilizational engagement, the establishment of China-EU diplomatic ties in 1975 represented unity between "the second world" and "the third world" – a triumph of intermediate-zone diplomacy.  

Looking ahead, as China, the U.S., and Europe form globalization's tripartite core, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized at the 2024 Two Sessions: "As long as China and Europe engage in mutually beneficial cooperation, no attempt to create bloc confrontation will succeed," underscoring Europe's pivotal role in sustaining globalization and multipolarity.  

Beyond that, the relations have gone beyond bilateralism and upheld multilateralism, as the world's most stable major-power relationship, China-EU ties increasingly defend multilateralism and global governance. Moreover, they have achieved mutual empowerment and illuminated the world. China's reform and opening-up brought substantial benefits to the EU; the EU contributed over half of the technology transfers while causing minimal harm to China's development. Now the two sides jointly lead humanity's sustainable advancement.  

The 50 years of China-EU relations also offer key lessons that reveal important mismatches between perception and reality. To start with, both sides have often viewed each other through idealized frameworks: China long regarded the EU as "the most developed bloc" and the pinnacle of regional integration, overlooking the relative inclusivity and adaptability of other regional organizations such as ASEAN, while Europe tended to perceive China merely as a "normative emerging market," failing to account for its unique political and civilizational identity. Furthermore, cognitive disparities persist in hindering mutual understanding.  

China underestimated the intergovernmental nature of the EU, placing excessive focus on multilateral engagement through Brussels while overlooking the bilateral foundations of its relations with individual member states. Similarly, Europe has struggled to grasp that China is not simply a nation-state, but a civilization-state, leading to misjudgments when applying conventional frameworks designed for emerging economies.

Regarding the EU's strategic autonomy, China has been expecting Europe to resist U.S. influence, but in reality, the EU seeks to strike a balance between resisting American dominance and cooperating with the U.S., including aligning with U.S. trade strategy rather than questioning U.S. unilateralism.

Additionally, China-EU relations now face the challenge of adapting to a global civilizational shift – from industrial civilization to a digital eco-civilization. Today, globalization is increasingly shaped by regional forces and in this emerging structure of "global regionalization," initiatives like the China-Europe Railway Express and the "Air Silk Road" have proven to be successful examples of pragmatic connectivity, reflecting the growing relevance of decentralized, cross-regional cooperation in shaping global governance. 

The EU's current strategic positioning toward China reflects a threefold approach: reducing risks in global supply chains (such as in rare earth materials), acknowledging systemic rivalry in industrial development and responding to value chain competition. Despite these dynamics, the deeply intertwined nature of China-EU relations, marked by mutual economic interdependence and shared structural integration, has created a symbiotic partnership. When moving forward, both sides should identify and expand new areas of cooperation, unlock fresh potential in emerging fields and seek to build deeper and broader platforms for engagement. 

The evolving dynamics of China-EU relations are increasingly shaped by shifting geopolitical and technological landscapes. For one thing, the interplay of U.S. and Russian influence has created a "seesaw effect," in which external powers indirectly sway the direction and tone of China-EU interactions. For another, the relationship has expanded beyond traditional domains of trade, production and investment into spheres such as lifestyle, societal values and modes of thinking.

What's more, the nature of competition is shifting from ideological rivalry to resource-based confrontations, particularly in global commons such as the deep sea, the Arctic, outer space and cyberspace, where China and Europe are transitioning from a paradigm of competitive cooperation to one of cooperative competition, marking a new phase in their multifaceted engagement.

In the future, the four-pillar partnership – peace, growth, reform and civilization – should continue to guide the maturation of China-EU relations. As the EU evolves into a more autonomous and mature actor on the global stage, it must also explore sustainable and rational models for managing its relations with not only China but also its neighboring countries.

Wang Yiwei, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is Vice President of Academy of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at Renmin University of China and Senior Fellow of Taihe Institute.