Although Germany had planned to give new impetus to EU-China relations during its Presidency of the Council of the EU, they remain a work in progress. The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare crucial differences, especially on their planned investment agreement. In order for the EU’s policy on China to be coherent, it would not only need to accommodate the heterogeneous interests of all 27 member states, but it would also have to reconcile the various ways the EU sees China – as a partner, for example on trade or in the fight against climate change, as an economic competitor in pursuit of technological leadership, and as systemic rival.
This roundtable will bring together key decisionmakers and experts from Brussels and Berlin to discuss perspectives for EU-China relations that take into account both the virtual EU-China summit held on September 14 and the European Council meeting scheduled for October 1 and 2.
Speakers:
Niels Annen
Minister of State, German Federal Foreign Office, Berlin
Nicolas Chapuis
Ambassador of the European Union to China, Beijing
Comments:
Fabian Zuleeg
Chief Executive, European Policy Centre (EPC), Brussels
Didi Kirsten Tatlow
Senior Fellow, Asia Program, DGAP, Berlin
Moderator:
Julian Rappold
Senior Fellow, Alfred von Oppenheim Center for European Policy Studies, DGAP, Berlin
This event is part of the joint EPC-DGAP event series ‘Project Presidency’ looking at the role of Germany and the future of the EU in the framework of the German EU Council Presidency, and aimed at connecting the EU policy debate in Berlin and Brussels. To this end, we are delighted to welcome a DGAP and EPC audience to this event.