Abstract
This essay examines and evaluates China’s global rise and the state of the transatlantic discussions about this issue. Since 2010, the rise of China has been accompanied by multiple Chinese initiatives on the international front, especially in the fields of trade and investment. Chinese overseas direct investments are on the rise at a global level. The creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, of the Silk Road Fund, and of the “Belt and Road” initiative are signs of a much more assertive China that is now engaging Western countries, including Europe and the USA. Western reactions, both at governmental and grass-root levels have been mixed. Two questions emerge: can Europeans agree on a common policy toward China? And can the USA and the European Union pursue a dialog and a more coordinated strategy? This will be especially relevant in the context of President Donald Trump’s administration as well as newly elected governments in France and Germany following general elections in these countries in 2017. The future of a transatlantic dialog should also encompass the British question when the UK leaves the EU. As the USA and leading European countries map their foreign policy strategies in coming years, there is a need to elevate policy coordination toward China in the hierarchy of political and economic goals. The paper offers some suggestions on possible priorities.
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Notes
Remarks at Brookings symposium, September 16, 2015 (Serbia is not a member of the EU).
Along Hungary and Croatia, Greece was apparently one of three EU members who tried to influence the EU to not issue a joint declaration after the arbitration tribunal’s ruling. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had a very successful visit to Beijing in June, weeks after his government agreed to grant China’s COSCO management of Piraeus harbor.
For a careful exploration of these arguments, consult Bader (2016).
See, for example, Jinping (2016).
France, Germany, Italy, and the UK. It remains to be seen if such a mechanism will be continued under new governments.
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Le Corre, P., Pollack, J. China’s rise: what about a transatlantic dialog?. Asia Eur J 15, 147–160 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-017-0471-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-017-0471-8