The Issue of Identity in the EU-China Relationship

This paper argues that rather than trade competition, ideology, civilizational differences, or changes in the international balance of power, the root of frequentswings between cooperation and conflict in the EU-China relationship lies in their ever-changing identities. As its role expands in the international system, China is forced to re-evaluate its identity and preferences, choosing to selectively remember or forget symbols and representations of the past and present. Transitioning from a developing country to an important member of the international system, its self-image has undergone a dramatic revolution. The EU meanwhile, has expanded from an EC-9 of similar Western democracies in 1973 to an EU-27 of diverse countries by 2007. Its attempt to develop a distinctive European presence in world affairs – that of ‘normative power’ Europe; set it on a course of collision with China. These changes in identity have important consequences for actions and foreign policy interactions. We can thus expect China-EU relations to develop in the context of the ongoing redefinition of their identities and roles in the evolving international order. Both China and the EU will likely continue to respond to each other according to the needs and demands of their respective populations, and to the external expectations placed on them as important players in global politics, diplomacy, economics, trade, finance and security.