Dossier

Towards a common European China strategy?

Mapping EU Member States’ policy documents on China

Since the EU published its EU-China Strategic Outlook in 2019, half a dozen EU Member States have come out with relevant China-related strategies. A new study by Jacob Mardell highlights that with each newly published national strategy on China or the Indo-Pacific, the overall EU approach towards China is also evolving.

Towards a common European China strategy?

Study

The majority of EU Member States do not have any formal China strategy papers. Some EU Member States and specific government ministries have adopted internal China strategies and guidelines that have not been officially released to the public. Commonly referred to as ‘China strategies’, these documents outline national positions on China, rather than concrete strategies for managing bilateral relations. Jacob Mardell mapped out the state of play of these strategies in EU27, UK and Switzerland.

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Böll·Europe Podcast #11 | EU's China approach: United in diversity?

Podcast episode

In this episode, we discuss the relationship between the EU and China, how this relationship is shaped by national strategies adopted by EU Member States, and whether it is possible to imagine a European approach to China. Gail Rego talks to: Jacob Mardell is a research analyst with six years’ experience exploring China’s global impact.

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Contact

Hannah Goerlich

Head of Programme - EU and International Politics, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union