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Sino-EU ties lost in translation

By Fraser Cameron (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-31 14:19

When Catherine Ashton, European Union (EU) foreign policy chief, visits China this week, she will have an opportunity to focus on how to move EU-China ties forward. To her credit, Ashton is not just flying in and out of Beijing. She has been to Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province, too. This should give her the opportunity to see the huge contrast in lifestyles that make up China today.

Although they are reportedly strategic partners, on many issues the EU and China seem to be opposed to each other on many issues. This is reflected in the current negotiations on a new partnership agreement which is proving difficult to progress. The high point in their relations was 2003 when China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a positive assessment of the EU. It praised the successful introduction of the euro and the forthcoming enlargement of the EU from 15 to 27 member states.

The EU was seen as an important actor in the new multi-polar world. The EU, for its part, looked forward to building a strategic partnership with China that would be mutually rewarding in terms of increased trade, and economic and political cooperation. Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and former French president Jacques Chirac promised to lift EU arms embargo on China. This promise, however, was not kept and the EU split over the Iraq war, dealing a severe blow to its pretensions to be a global actor.

Since then the EU has taken a number of steps to improve its foreign policy, culminating in last month's decision to establish an EU external action service. This will not be fully operational until next January, but already Ashton is appointing senior diplomats from EU institutions and member states to run the new service. It will not lead to a dramatic change but over time the new service will help develop a culture of cooperation that can only further strengthen EU diplomacy. All member states recognize that only by pooling their resources can they exercise influence in today's world.

China, Ashton has already said, will be a top EU priority. Her views represent the growing fascination with China reflected in the outpouring of policy papers and the constant stream of EU politicians and officials to China. But despite these visits there is little evidence of a genuine strategic partnership.

Apart from the arms embargo and the EU's continuing refusal to recognize China as a market economy, there are numerous disputes on trade and political issues. The EU thinks China is not living up to all its WTO commitments, but Beijing reacts by saying Brussels's fears over Chinese competition are unfounded and points to the large profits made by European firms operating in China.

China is sensitive, too, to the willingness of some EU politicians to meet with the Dalai Lama.

There is, however, a large agenda, including the global financial crisis, over which the two sides could deepen their cooperation.

China has done much to stimulate domestic demand but it still relies on the open EU market for its export-led growth. It is important that the two sides resist calls for protectionism.

On the environment and climate change, China and the EU both recognize the importance of green technology and have narrowed their differences on combating carbon dioxide emissions. China and the EU are engaged in combating piracy off the coast of Somalia. But more could be done in dealing with other regional hotspots, including Iran and Afghanistan.

While there are many areas in which they can work together, one should not have any illusion about the difficulties.

The fundamental asymmetries in their relationship in terms of political systems, economic development, histories and cultures make it difficult to achieve progress.

Progress will depend on increasing mutual understanding, and the misperceptions of each other's motives are a real handicap to EU-China ties. If real progress is to be made, there needs to be a much greater expansion of contacts at all levels. Some useful steps have already been taken, including the launching of a high-level economic and trade dialogue, and EU support for various business schools and EU institutes.

The limited contacts between EU and Chinese think tanks need to be greatly expanded and should be more exchanges and a greater commitment on each side to study the politics, economics and cultures of the other.

EU-China relations will continue to develop and there will be an ever-expanding agenda. But without a greater degree of mutual understanding the relationship will not be able to flourish and benefit both the parties as it could.

Aston's visit could hopefully provide the impetus for an increase in people-to-people contacts.

The author is a senior adviser to the European Policy Center in Brussels.