European Union and China in the twenty-first century – problems, opportunities and threats

Abstract

Today, EU and China – along the US – undoubtedly play a key role in
the international arena. They have established strategic partnership in their
bilateral relations and strive to develop cooperation in all areas. Yet, they also
dissent on many important issues. In this article, I investigate the premises
of EU-China bilateral relations, as well as opportunities and threats to both
parties as far as their status on the global stage is concerned. Moreover,
I test the thesis I deem controversial, which claims that the twenty-first
century will be Asian century, and de facto the era of China. The literature
on contemporary China, on the role it plays in the international arena and on
its relations with the EU is abundant. However no definite answer has been
given yet as to where China is heading and whether the EU will break up in
the twenty-first century. China’s ‘turn to multilateralism’ is questioned, with
some researchers claiming that it simply serves to conceal China’s long-term
goal, i.e. taking control over the world in the second half of the twenty-first
century.