Both past and presently, Sino-European relations have been secondary to both actors and the US has had primacy in both respective foreign policies. This has created a situation where both the Chinese and Europeans exhibit a serious lack of understanding of one another, which is the root cause of many misunderstandings. The most important and dangerous symptom of this dysfunctional relationship is suspicion, because suspicion breeds mistrust. This is a curious observation considering interaction and trade between the two actors has increased, whilst trust has decreased and has arguably never been lower. This is despite an increased need and interest to cooperate on areas ranging from social and welfare issues to the combating of piracy and peacekeeping. There have been a number of high-level Sino-European meetings but these have not evidenced the progress needed.
Due to this fragile Sino-European relationship it is necessary to adopt additional mechanisms to address tension issues and miscommunication, focusing more on measures providing long-term stability and secure channels of information-sharing and trust building. It is important to understand how Europe and China perceive each other, and it is necessary to take into account cultural differences that have the potential to lead to miscommunication if they are not addressed and understood. This is vital as actors often say the same thing, albeit in a different way. It is also necessary to realize that both Europe and China have many different principles at their foundation but also many similarities that are, in fact, easily compatible. Sino-European relations are now at a stage which allows such dialogue and understanding, notwithstanding enduring impediments that continue to affect relations. It must also be acknowledged that issues causing tensions need to be discussed at a level where political influence is low.
The project on Sino-European Dialogue focuses on the underlying problems in Sino-European relations and addresses communication setbacks and aims at providing insightful policy relevant analysis on the situation. There are a number of groups that will have an opportunity to meet in an informal setting outside of their traditional context so as to reach greater understanding of each other's interests and perceptions.
Primary Researcher
Niklas Swanström
Ingolf Kiesow
Karlis Neretnieks
Chris O´ Hara
Collaboration Partners
Academy of Military Science, PLA
Peking University
China Institute for International Contemporary Relations
China Foundation for International Strategic Studies
Foreign Affairs University
National Defence University, PLA
