Seek deeper: Signs of China’s changing strategy towards European societies
Activities by Huawei and the Chinese authorities in Bulgaria suggest a more elaborate and all-embracing approach to engaging society
China
Britain’s risky re-engagement: Why its China policy could strain the EU-UK reset
British chancellor Rachel Reeves’s visit to Beijing over the weekend shows the Labour government’s willingness to re-engage with China. But this strategy could strain Britain’s relationship with the EU
Carbon diplomacy: How Europe can steer China’s climate path
Beijing is poised to make a pivotal decision that will shape global climate action for decades to come and directly affect European climate safety
From Brussels with leverage: How the EU is recalibrating its China strategy
By imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, the European Commission has turned a corner on its relations with Beijing. To push back against an emboldened Brussels, Beijing will have to change tactics
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
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
Seek deeper: Signs of China’s changing strategy towards European societies
Activities by Huawei and the Chinese authorities in Bulgaria suggest a more elaborate and all-embracing approach to engaging society
Britain’s risky re-engagement: Why its China policy could strain the EU-UK reset
British chancellor Rachel Reeves’s visit to Beijing over the weekend shows the Labour government’s willingness to re-engage with China. But this strategy could strain Britain’s relationship with the EU
Carbon diplomacy: How Europe can steer China’s climate path
Beijing is poised to make a pivotal decision that will shape global climate action for decades to come and directly affect European climate safety
From Brussels with leverage: How the EU is recalibrating its China strategy
By imposing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, the European Commission has turned a corner on its relations with Beijing. To push back against an emboldened Brussels, Beijing will have to change tactics
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
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
China’s trade challenges for the European economy
Mark Leonard welcomes Agathe Demarais and Janka Oertel to discuss EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and the potential for future economic sanctions
In:Sight China with Yan Xuetong 
Mark Leonard and Alicja Bachulska welcome Yan Xuetong to discuss China’s role in the new global order
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
Events
4 Mar
CHINA-EU RELATIONS IN A TRUMPIAN WORLD
Si tratta del sesto appuntamento di una serie di working lunch realizzati congiuntamente da ECFR Roma, SDA Bocconi e l’Institute for European Policymaking @ Bocconi…
22 Nov
China’s views in today’s changing global order
With increased US-China competition likely to shape Trump’s second term, significant attention in Washington is focused on the primacists, prioritisers and restrainers vying to shape…
14 Nov
Sanctions options for a Taiwan conflict scenario
Picture this scenario: the year is 2028 and western intelligence services have reached an alarming conclusion. Credible sources suggest that China is about to impose…
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
In the media
Europe, including Poland, must realistically assess its own position and long-term interests in the context of Beijing’s revisionism
By raising tariffs to such levels, Donald Trump is clearly playing against his own side
Agathe Demarais was quoted in le Parisien on the President of the United States signing of executive orders imposing new tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico, while threatening Europe
China sees trade in clean technologies with the Global South as part of its climate diplomacy
