M. G. Nosov, S. V. Smolnikov. EU - CHINA: TOWARDS THE GLOBAL

PARTNERSHIP. Reports of the Institute of Europe of RAS № 165

"OGNI TD" Moscow 2005

ANNOTATION

The authors analyze historic, political, economic and institutional facets of EU-China relations. The report shows how and why in the last two-three decades the trade and economic relations between the European Union and China have turned from a minor factor of the international economic relations into a powerful force of the world economy. It is emphasized that even though the relations between Brussels and Beijing are free from the burden of serious contradictions, Europe has been so far limited in terms of its political capacity to make use of the China factor unlike other key international actors- the United States and Russia. The authors conclude that the rise of European economic presence in China combined with a growing dependence of Chinese economy on the European market contribute significantly to setting grounds for a more stable and predictable system of international interaction under a changing world order.