The world after the West: Rana Mitter on China
In recent years, China has overtaken the United States as the largest trading partner of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Not only has…
China
China’s new ideas: People, power, progress
Mark Leonard welcomes Alicja Bachulska and Janka Oertel to discuss their latest book, “The Idea of China.”
17 Jul
Transizione energetica, tecnologia e geopolitica: quali scenari strategici per Europa & Italia?
La sfida tecnologica posta dalla transizione energetica è un fattore dirimente di competizione tra gli attori internazionali, con implicazioni critiche sul futuro assetto geoeconomico globale, come reso evidente dalle tensioni nelle relazioni commerciali tra Stati Uniti, Cina e Unione Europea. Allo stesso tempo, la proiezione esterna degli attori internazionali e lo sforzo di costruzione di nuove partnership e collaborazioni sono meccanismi essenziali per lo sviluppo di catene del valore resilienti
The idea of China
China’s ideas could become the country’s next big export. The Idea of China examines Chinese thinking about global order, AI, demographic change, and more – and considers how these ideas could influence the world
20 Jun
How to Manage Europe’s Green Technology Dependence on China: A Black Coffee Morning
As the global landscape shifts towards strategic rivalry between China and the advanced industrial economies of the West, Europe finds itself at a crossroads, needing…
The Great Firewall: How China regulates big tech
Mark Leonard welcomes Angela Zhang to discuss China’s Big Tech regulation
In:Sight China with Angela Zhang
Mark Leonard welcomes Angela Zhang to discuss China’s big tech regulation
East meets middle: China’s blossoming relationship with Saudi Arabia and the UAE
China is strengthening its ties to the Gulf in areas well beyond the energy sector. The EU clearly has stakes in the region, but it should not try to directly counter China’s influence. It should instead build its own Gulf partnerships
Ahead of the curve: Why the EU and US risk falling behind China in Latin America
As Beijing’s investment approach to Latin America focuses on industries of strategic importance, the EU and US will need to contend with growing Chinese competition
8 May
Rome Foreign Policy Club, Terza Edizione – Road to November 2024: prospettive e scenari globali delle elezioni americane
Nella sua edizione 2024, il Rome Foreign Policy Club riunisce giovani ricercatori italiani under 40 per costruire ipotesi di scenario che possano supportare la definizione di policy da parte del Ministero per gli Affari Esteri e la Cooperazione Internazionale. L’evento più significativo per l’anno in corso è indubbiamente rappresentato dalle elezioni americane di novembre il cui esito avrà enormi implicazioni su due aspetti cruciali del contesto internazionale: i rapporti con Cina e Sud Globale e le relazioni con Mosca alla luce del conflitto in Ucraina
Publications
The idea of China
China’s ideas could become the country’s next big export. The Idea of China examines Chinese thinking about global order, AI, demographic change, and more – and considers how these ideas could influence the world
East meets middle: China’s blossoming relationship with Saudi Arabia and the UAE
China is strengthening its ties to the Gulf in areas well beyond the energy sector. The EU clearly has stakes in the region, but it should not try to directly counter China’s influence. It should instead build its own Gulf partnerships
China and Ukraine: The Chinese debate about Russia’s war and its meaning for the world
Chinese thinkers are drawing four key lessons from Russia’s war on Ukraine, informing their views on: America, Russia, Taiwan, and economic interdependence with the West
Circuit breakers: Securing Europe’s green energy supply chains
Europeans risk over-dependence on China for the green technologies needed to build the low-carbon economy of the future. They should take steps to reduce their exposure – while recognising they will have to work with Chinese suppliers in some instances
Let a thousand contacts bloom: How China competes for influence in Bulgaria
China is expanding its presence in Bulgaria through a strategy of engagement with state and non-state actors. This has concerning implications in areas such as technology transfer, critical infrastructure, and public procurement
What Europeans think about the US-China Cold War
A majority of European citizens believe a new cold war with both China and Russia is under way – but they mostly do not think that their own country is involved
The fall of the Afghan government and what it means for Europe
ECFR’s policy experts examine what the Taliban takeover means for countries and regions around the world: Europe, the US, the Middle East, Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, and the Sahel
Fish and ships: Chinese fishing and Europe’s Indo-Pacific strategy
Beijing instrumentalises its fishing fleet for geopolitical gain, as evidenced by its policy on the South China Sea. Europe cannot be a bystander on the issue
Network effects: Europe’s digital sovereignty in the Mediterranean
The EU has the ambition and potential to become a sovereign digital power, but it lacks an all-encompassing strategy for the sector, in which individual governments are still the key players
Home advantage: How China’s protected market threatens Europe’s economic power
The EU urgently needs to incorporate the concept and reality of the ‘protected home market advantage’ into its thinking on China
Articles
Ahead of the curve: Why the EU and US risk falling behind China in Latin America
As Beijing’s investment approach to Latin America focuses on industries of strategic importance, the EU and US will need to contend with growing Chinese competition
Risk and reward: Why the EU should develop the Middle Corridor trade route
The EU’s plans to upgrade the Middle Corridor trade route may boost Russian and Chinese connectivity with central Asia. But for Europeans, the long-term economic and strategic benefits of going ahead with the development far outweigh these risks
Sunset of the economists
Two decades ago, China’s reformist economists walked the halls of power and dictated policy. Now, they have been sidelined in favour of a new priority: national security. What happened?
Security recall: The risk of Chinese electric vehicles in Europe
The security challenge posed by Chinese electric vehicles is in many ways greater – and trickier to solve – than that of 5G networks. With such cars entering the European market at growing speed, policymakers need to move swiftly
The red flags ahead: What to expect from Taiwan’s election
Tensions over Taiwan are likely to rise in the aftermath of this weekend’s election, regardless of who wins. The next president will seek closer ties with Europe, which will necessitate a more coherent and unified policy
High-voltage trade: How Europe should fight the electric vehicle wars
The electric vehicle industry demonstrates the challenges of de-risking in practice. The EU needs more than tariffs if it wants to prevent a looming over-dependence on Chinese electric vehicles without strangling its own green ambitions
Beyond business as usual: A China strategy for Poland
Poland needs to rethink its approach to China. The new government provides an opportunity for Warsaw to work with European partners to develop a China strategy that strengthens both Poland and the EU
Looking beyond China: Why it’s time to refresh the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy
As ties between Europe and China continue to cool, European leaders should refocus their energies on strengthening relations elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific
Strategic priorities: Creating momentum for an effective approach to China
Speech by EU Commission President von der Leyen at the European China Conference 2023, organised by the European Council on Foreign Relations and the Mercator Institute for China Studies
The introverted power: Why this time really might be different for China’s economy
China’s zero-covid fallout may represent the start of a new chapter for China – one in which it becomes an increasingly unpredictable force in the world
Specials
Mapping China’s rise in the Western Balkans
China is building up its influence in the Western Balkans through projects focused on everything from energy and infrastructure to culture, education, and media. If the European Union is to achieve its geopolitical goals in the region, it will need to understand the nature of competition with Beijing in all these areas
Podcasts
The world after the West: Rana Mitter on China
In recent years, China has overtaken the United States as the largest trading partner of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Not only has…
China’s new ideas: People, power, progress
Mark Leonard welcomes Alicja Bachulska and Janka Oertel to discuss their latest book, “The Idea of China.”
The Great Firewall: How China regulates big tech
Mark Leonard welcomes Angela Zhang to discuss China’s Big Tech regulation
In:Sight China with Angela Zhang
Mark Leonard welcomes Angela Zhang to discuss China’s big tech regulation
The end of Germany’s China illusion with Janka Oertel
Mark Leonard welcomes Janka Oertel to discuss her new book “End of the China illusion” and the West’s biggest misconceptions about China
In:Sight China with Duan Jiuzhou
Mark Leonard welcomes Duan Jiuzhou to talk about China’s role in the MENA region
In:Sight China with Wang Dong
Janka Oertel welcome Wang Dong, to talk about the current tensions between Washington and Beijing
China and Russia: a friendship without limits
Mark Leonard welcomes Janka Oertel and Alicja Bachulska, to discuss China-Russia relations
The Iran-Saudi deal and its impact
Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, Cinzia Bianco and Andrew Small, to talk about the new Saudi – Iran deal
Events
17 Jul
Transizione energetica, tecnologia e geopolitica: quali scenari strategici per Europa & Italia?
La sfida tecnologica posta dalla transizione energetica è un fattore dirimente di competizione tra gli attori internazionali, con implicazioni critiche sul futuro assetto geoeconomico globale, come reso evidente dalle tensioni nelle relazioni commerciali tra Stati Uniti, Cina e Unione Europea. Allo stesso tempo, la proiezione esterna degli attori internazionali e lo sforzo di costruzione di nuove partnership e collaborazioni sono meccanismi essenziali per lo sviluppo di catene del valore resilienti
20 Jun
How to Manage Europe’s Green Technology Dependence on China: A Black Coffee Morning
As the global landscape shifts towards strategic rivalry between China and the advanced industrial economies of the West, Europe finds itself at a crossroads, needing…
8 May
Rome Foreign Policy Club, Terza Edizione – Road to November 2024: prospettive e scenari globali delle elezioni americane
Nella sua edizione 2024, il Rome Foreign Policy Club riunisce giovani ricercatori italiani under 40 per costruire ipotesi di scenario che possano supportare la definizione di policy da parte del Ministero per gli Affari Esteri e la Cooperazione Internazionale. L’evento più significativo per l’anno in corso è indubbiamente rappresentato dalle elezioni americane di novembre il cui esito avrà enormi implicazioni su due aspetti cruciali del contesto internazionale: i rapporti con Cina e Sud Globale e le relazioni con Mosca alla luce del conflitto in Ucraina
2 May
Breaking the Debt Deadlock in Africa: the IMF’s Balancing Act with China
The economic shock after COVID-19 plunged many African economies into debt trouble. Yet, four years later, the current system for restructuring debts – the G20 Common…
24 Apr
Europe’s de-risking plans: between ambitions and reality
Quarto appuntamento di una serie di working lunch realizzati congiuntamente da ECFR Roma, SDA Bocconi e l’Institute for European Policymaking @ Bocconi University
16 Nov
Strategic priorities: Creating momentum for an effective European approach to China
The EU China conference brings together high-level policymakers and experts from all over Europe to discuss how to respond to the multitude of challenges posed by the developments in China’s economic, foreign and security policy
24 Oct
Verso la COP28: La diplomazia climatica tra pubblico e privato
A poche settimane dall’inizio della COP28, è tempo di approfondire opportunità di cooperazione tra l’Italia, l’Europa e le monarchie del Golfo, così come sfide per gli interessi italiani ed europei legati a sicurezza energetica e climatica. Conflitti politici sul destino dei combustibili fossili da un lato, possibilità di rafforzare la posizione italiana ed europea nella transizione verde dall’altro. Il contributo delle imprese tra collaborazione pubblico-privato e iniziative cross-business all’insegna della sostenibilità
10 Oct
Europe debates: Should Italy ditch China’s Belt and Road Initiative?
Italy’s leaders are confronting a decision about whether to withdraw from a memorandum of understanding with China on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) before…
13 Sep
Italia, Europa e disinformazione russa e cinese: sfide e prospettive in vista delle elezioni europee 2024
In vista delle elezioni europee del 2024, la disinformazione si conferma una delle sfide che Italia ed Europa devono affrontare con grande urgenza. Per…
12 Jul
China and Ukraine: The Chinese debate about Russia’s war and its meaning for the world
How has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022—and the conduct of the war since then—changed China’s support for Russia and its wider outlook on the world? What lessons can Europe learn from China’s relationship to Russia?
In the media
Reindustrializing with the help of Chinese companies may seem like an easy fix to some in Rome or Madrid, but would further enhance dependence on Beijing
the Commission is strengthened at the start of its new mandate and gains momentum to continue addressing market distortions, critical dependencies and new security challenges in different sectors
Some countries may oppose anti-subsidy duties pointing to recent data showing a decline in Chinese electric vehicle sales in the EU over the past year
The vote serves as a litmus test of whether Brussels’ proposed rules-based solutions to strengthen Europe’s negotiating position with China will be undermined
Janka Oertel argues that EU member states should vote in favour of imposing definitive trade tariffs on China-made electric vehicles