The three year long EU-China honeymoon has come to an end and both Brussels and Beijing are now charged with re-adjusting and redefi ning their relations, »strategic« or otherwise. Whereas the EU found itself confronted with the task of explaining its objectives a however-shaped »strategic partnership« with China, for Beijing the objectives of the partnership with Brussels announced in 2003 were always well-defi ned, with two issues on top of the agenda: The lifting of the EU weapons embargo imposed on China in 1989 and the granting of market economy status (MES). Three years later, neither nor has happened and it remains very unlikely that there will be progress on either issue any time soon. Then again how realistic and credible is a »strategic partnership« between a democratic block of countries and the yet non-democratic China mainly if not exclusively preoccupied with economic development in the fi rst place? Not very, this author argues and the analysis below will seek to explain why.
EU-China Relations-Really Towards a Strategic Partnership?; in: Sicherheit und Frieden, 4, 2006, pp. 185-192 (ISSN: 0175-274X)
BERKOFSKY, AXEL
2006-01-01
Abstract
The three year long EU-China honeymoon has come to an end and both Brussels and Beijing are now charged with re-adjusting and redefi ning their relations, »strategic« or otherwise. Whereas the EU found itself confronted with the task of explaining its objectives a however-shaped »strategic partnership« with China, for Beijing the objectives of the partnership with Brussels announced in 2003 were always well-defi ned, with two issues on top of the agenda: The lifting of the EU weapons embargo imposed on China in 1989 and the granting of market economy status (MES). Three years later, neither nor has happened and it remains very unlikely that there will be progress on either issue any time soon. Then again how realistic and credible is a »strategic partnership« between a democratic block of countries and the yet non-democratic China mainly if not exclusively preoccupied with economic development in the fi rst place? Not very, this author argues and the analysis below will seek to explain why.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
