Europe’s changing debate on China

Date: Tuesday, 5 March 2019
Time: 4.30-5.30pm
Venue: AM 101, Alan MacDiarmid, Kelburn Campus, Victoria University of Wellington

Abstract

While different interests in the EU and its member states exist vis-à-vis China, the debate on China (and arguably policy) has changed in recent years. This is mainly due to two factors: China is much more present now in Europe than it was 10 years ago and it has changed domestically and in its international behaviour under the leadership of Xi Jinping. While the One Belt One Road initiative was initially welcomed, more critical views have come to the fore concerning China’s activities – economic and political – in and beyond Europe. The EU and its member states share most of the US criticism of China, but not the methods applied by the Trump administration (being themselves objects of these methods). The strategic rivalry between the US and China and a possible decoupling of the two leaves Europe between a rock and a hard place.

About the speaker

Dr. Gudrun Wacker is a Senior Fellow in the Asia Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, SWP) in Berlin, a think tank providing political advice to the German government and parliament.

Her research focuses on Chinese foreign and security policy, especially EU-China relations, China and the Asia-Pacific region and security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific more generally. She has been organizing the “Berlin Conference on Asian Security” (BCAS) held annually at SWP in Berlin and she has been co-organizing an annual track two dialogue between EU and China on cross-strait relations with the Shanghai Institutes for International Relations.

Dr Wacker is currently a member of the Steering Committee of CSCAP EU and EU delegate at the Experts and Eminent Persons Group of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Europe's changing debate on China (PDF)

If you are interested to attend, please email Lai Ching or call 04 463 9549 to RSVP.