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The relationship between the European Union (EU) and China is one of the most important issues in current international relations, especially in the light of a trade dispute between the United States and China that, arguably, goes much further than trade. It is a struggle between values, between perspectives of what the world should look like, between multipolarity and unipolarity, and for the economic and political system that will prevail. Specifically in respect of global economic governance – the rules and norms that govern the economic regime of international trade and institutions – China seems to be building an alternative to the prevailing Western model where the fundamental liberal values of democracy, freedom, and human rights prevail. Instead, the Chinese model prioritizes national sovereignty, social stability, and the survival of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
In the context of the Conference of the Future of Europe and the development of a new EU China strategy, my analysis uses an altered model of the Prisoner’s Dilemma to illustrate how communication can promote cooperation between both actors and lead to mutual understanding. It also incorporates the domestic policy perspective in the analysis as relevant variable to consider when analysing China’s foreign policy perspectives and to increase their cooperation through a more effective EU China strategy. Finally, some policy recommendations are made, including delinking values from interests in EU-China dialogues, improving communication channels, building lasting people-to-people relations through soft power, a two-tier China Strategy, and the creation of a ‘China intelligence unit’.
