The European Union and China’s Belt and Road: Impact, Engagement and Competition (Routledge Studies in European Foreign Policy)

This book explores key elements of European Union (EU) engagement with the Belt Road Initiative (BRI), drawing on the expertise of leading practitioners and scholars of EU-China relations. Under the theme of discerning the BRI and its nexus with the EU, chapters examine the nature of the BRI as China’s approach to global governance and consider how BRI intersects with the EU as a very different regional integration project. Under the theme of BRI factors in EU law and policy, chapters examine the BRI as a factor in specific domains of EU law and policy, including investment, finance, the environment and the COVID-19 pandemic and consider EU responses. Under the theme of EU Member State experiences, chapters present a series of case studies of individual Member States, their engagement with the BRI and ongoing policy debates. This book will be of interest to scholars and students of International Relations, EU external relations, Chinese public policy and foreign relations, European studies and security studies as well as policymakers dealing with China in EU and Member State institutions. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents List of Illustrations Contributors Foreword References Acknowledgements Part I: Introduction 1. Introduction: Facing the Belt and Road from the European Union Section 2: Discerning the BRI and its crossroads with the European Union Section 3: Belt and Road factors in EU law and policy Section 4: EU Member State experiences and debates References Part II: Discerning the BRI and its intersections with the European Union 2. The Belt and Road Initiative in China's approach to global governance: Implications for China-EU relations and economic cooperation 1 Introduction 2 China's vision and modalities to enhance global governance 2.1 The BRI and China's vision of global governance 2.2 The modalities of China to enhance global governance 3 The implications of China's global governance for the China-EU cooperation 3.1 The legislation competence and the decision-making mechanism of the EU institutions 3.2 The impact of BRI projects on China-EU relations 3.3 The strategies and approaches to strengthen the BRI cooperation between China and the EU 4 Conclusion Notes Bibliography 3. The EU-China diplomacy and the Belt and Road Initiative Introduction The declarations of the EU-China Summit (2015, 2018, 2019) and the EU's position on the BRI Perception shaping of the BRI in the EU Why is the BRI perceived negatively by the EU? EU-China diplomacy Concluding remarks Bibliography 4. The BRI Kaleidoscope: European Legal Pluralism and BRI Soft Law Introduction Part I: The EU perspective Part II: The EU Member States' perspective Part III. 17+1 Conclusion Notes Bibliography 5. The Belt and Road in the single market: Towards an EU legal infrastructure to address the regulatory implications 1 Introduction 2 Why Chinese SOEs' investments challenge single market order 3 European regulatory response mechanisms 3.1 EU competition law 3.2 EU rules on state aid and public procurement State aid Public procurement 3.3 FDI screening mechanisms National level EU-level An FDI screening mechanism A new industrial strategy 4 Increasing regulatory convergence? 5 Concluding remarks Notes Bibliography Part III: Belt and Road Factors in EU law and policy 6. Sino-European financial linkages underpinning BRI projects in Europe Introduction I Goals, tools and actors of China's policy in Southeast Europe II Shifting arbitration and mediation to China III Country cases Hungary: The perils of railway modernization Serbia: A gateway between East and West? Montenegro: Entrapped in debt? IV The EU's reaction to China's growing footprint in Southeast Europe? Conclusions and outlook Notes Bibliography 7. The Belt and Road Initiative and state-owned enterprises: Is it time for reform of the EU merger control? I Introduction: East meets West on the New Silk Road II State-owned enterprises: China's "National Champions" going global III China's SOE acquisitions under the EU merger control IV EU merger control and beyond: Regulatory responses Conclusion Notes Bibliography 8. EU-China cooperation on promoting sustainable development under the Belt and Road Initiative—Consensus built on divergence 1 Introduction 2 BRI and China's approach to sustainable development promotion 2.1 A China-led developmental initiative 2.2 Sustainable development in the construction of the BRI and the Chinese approach 2.3 The principle of "non-interference" 3 The traditional and modern EU approach to promoting sustainable development 3.1 "Poverty eradication" as priority in the EU's development policy 3.2 A pragmatic transition of the EU's development policy 4 The cooperation paradigm of the EU and China on sustainable development under the BRI 4.1 The EU's response to sustainability issues of the BRI 4.2 The connectivity platform—An EU-China joint commitment to sustainable corridors 4.3 AIIB and its sustainable standard—Credit to the European members? 5 Conclusion Notes Bibliography 9. COVID-19 and EU-China relations 1 Introduction 2 Necessary cooperation for battling COVID-19 3 China's controversial public diplomacy 4 Evolving perceptions of EU citizens on China 5 Recent developments on EU-China relations: During or because of COVID-19? 6 Implications for European BRI engagement 7. Conclusion Notes Bibliography Part IV: EU Member State experiences and debates 10. France, China and the BRI: The challenge of conditional engagement Introduction A new French China strategy in the making The myth of a privileged political relationship An unbalanced economic relationship A less naive but constructive approach France and a "whole of EU" approach to China France and China's BRI: Positive but principled A late awakening A diversity of perspectives France's public strategy of conditional engagement on BRI The focus on third-party market cooperation Conclusion: Combining openness and firmness may be paying off Notes Bibliography 11. Between commerce and geopolitics: Is there a German China strategy? I Championing engagement with a rising China The German-Chinese economic partnership The constants of German China policy Waking up to the new China challenge II The BRI turns 'Wandel durch Handel' on its head The BRI as China's vehicle for its global vision Challenging Germany's cooperation with China on global issues Germany's evolving response to the BRI III Leaving the strategic grey zone? Conclusion Notes Bibliography 12. Greece between crisis, opportunity and risk as a key BRI node Introduction Background of Greek-Chinese relations BRI objectives and the Mediterranean/Balkans region Greek expectations from China Economic dimensions of Chinese investments in Greece Political dimensions of Chinese investments in Greece Greece-China relations in a European context Conclusion Bibliography 13. Italy's embrace of BRI and the role of internal political dynamics Fifty years of diplomatic relations The Italian approach towards the BRI: Great expectations Speculation about the rationale of Italy's embrace of BRI Italy in the BRI: A Chinese perspective Implications of the MoU from a European perspective Conclusion Note Bibliography 14. China and the Belt and Road Initiative in Europe: The case of Portugal Introduction Contextualizing the Belt and Road Initiative: Origins and core tenets China and the European Union against the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative: Contours and approaches China in Portugal before and after the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative Conclusion Notes Bibliography Part V: Conclusion 15. Conclusion: The EU's Belt and Road challenge: Coherence, consolidation and connectivity Bibliography Index Foreword / by Thanos Dokos -- Introduction: The Belt and Road and EU international relations policy and law / Vassilis Ntousas and Stephen Minas -- The Belt and Road Initiative as China's approach to global governance : implications for China-EU relations and economic cooperation / Yun Zhao and Hui Chen -- EU-China diplomacy and the Belt and Road Initiative / Jing Men -- The BRI kaleidoscope : European legal pluralism and BRI soft law / Francis Snyder -- The Belt and Road in the single market : towards an EU legal infrastructure to address the regulatory implications / Steven Blockmans and Weinian Hu -- Sino-European financial linkages underpinning BRI projects in Europe / Jens Bastian -- The Belt and Road Initiative and state-owned enterprises : is it time for reform of the EU merger control? / Alexandr Svetlicinii -- EU-China cooperation on promoting sustainable development under the Belt and Road Initiative : consensus built on divergence / Xueji Su -- COVID-19 and EU-China relations / Mario Esteban and Ugo Armanini -- France, China and the BRI : the challenge of conditional engagement / Françoise Nicolas -- Between commerce and geopolitics : is there a German China strategy? / Stefan Mair and Ferdinand Schaff -- Greece between crisis, opportunity and risk as a key BRI node / Dimitris Kokoromytis and Angelos Chryssogelos -- Italy's embrace of BRI and the role of internal political dynamics / Alessia Amighini -- China and the Belt and Road Initiative in Europe : the case of Portugal / Laura-Ferreira Pereira and Paulo Duarte -- Conclusion: The EU's Belt and Road challenge : coherence, consolidation and connectivity / Vassilis Ntousas and Stephen Minas "This book explores key elements of EU engagement with the Belt Road Initiative (BRI), drawing on the expertise of leading practitioners and scholars of EU-China relations. Under the theme of discerning the BRI and its nexus with the EU, chapters examine the nature of the BRI as China's approach to global governance and consider how BRI intersects with the EU as a very different regional integration project. Under the theme of BRI factors in EU law and policy, chapters examine the BRI as a factor in specific domains of EU law and policy, including investment, finance, the environment and the COVID-19 pandemic, and consider EU responses. Under the theme of EU Member State experiences, chapters present a series of case studies of individual Member States, their engagement with the BRI and ongoing policy debates. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of International Relations, EU external relations, Chinese public policy and foreign relations, European studies and security studies as well as policymakers dealing with China in EU and Member State institutions"-- Provided by publisher