European Values and the Chinese Factor: The Problem of the European Union’s Common Stance on China and EU Countries’ Bilateral Relations with It

Russia in Global Affairs. 2020. Vol. 18. No. 1(69). P. 180–196.

Natalia B. Pomozova

The liberal values lying at the core of the European continent’s integration into the European Union (EU) are being put to the test by new factors, particularly the consistent and all-around strengthening of China. Europe’s attitude towards this new global “center of power” and, in particular, its Belt and Road Initiative, increasingly demonstrates the fragility of the existing system of values in EU countries, and its declining effectiveness. The article considers some contradictory foreign policy approaches towards China assumed by Great Britain, Germany, France, and Italy as the key EU countries in the context of the traditional European values and economic benefits that cooperation with China implies, including in terms of the theory of social constructivism. The author makes an assumption that if EU countries carry out a common policy towards China, they will probably be able to preserve their basic liberal values (albeit in a somewhat modified form) as a unifying factor and their main foreign policy tool. However, a rush of EU countries towards solving internal socioeconomic problems by developing bilateral relations with China, may seriously rock the entire union in the long run.

Keywords: China, European Union foreign policy, International relations, Community of Common Destiny with Mankind