EU-China: Cure for 7-year itch starts with next generation
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The foundation of a good marriage is not for partners to try to change each other forcibly, but to further understand each other and build on mutual respect and trust. Like most marriages, the development of Europe-China relations is destined to be long-term and complex. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1975, Europe-China relations have gone through 35 years of trials and tribulations. Cooperation and progress have long been considered the main trend of the bilateral relationship, but some negative factors in recent years have sparked fears that relations may be facing a downward trend.
An outstanding problem is the European public's often negative perception of China. In 2010, polls from the Pew Research Center, the BBC and the German Marshall Fund showed that European public perception of China had been declining over the past five years. Despite a slight improvement in the last two years, the European public's attitudes on China still remain at a lower level compared to other countries and regions.
Polls have their limitations, but to some extent they create food-for-thought. No doubt, a more institutionalized and comprehensive partnership is bound to deepen bilateral contacts. Deepening relations, however, will also lead to the emergence of some contradictions and problems.
Zhou Hong, a scholar from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, made a vivid metaphor: the ten-year period from 1995-2005 can be seen as the "honeymoon" period for Europe-China relations, while the bilateral relations in recent years represent a "post-honeymoon" stage.
Indeed, today's Europe-China relations are going through what can be described as "marital strain". In the 1990s, a complimentary bilateral economic structure coupled with China's economic miracle was a catalyst for Europe and China's honeymoon. Today, however, the EU is worrying about trade imbalances and growing product competition triggered by China's increasingly modernized manufacturing sector.
The EU has adopted a constructive engagement strategy towards China since 1995, hoping to mold bilateral relations to its own comparative advantage. Although relations have improved considerably, today the EU has realized that China, firmly maintaining its own principles in certain aspects, will not easily make changes to suit Europe's agenda. These economic disputes have caused political strain between the EU about China in recent years.
