Events

Amid accelerating global change, it is essential for the EU to recalibrate its external relations. This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic EU-China relations. As Von der Leyen stated in Davos 2025, “It is time to pursue a more balanced relationship with China”. What does this new balance mean for Europe, and how should we achieve it? To explore these questions further, we will organise the ReConnect China Conference 2025: Rebalancing EU-China Relations in an Age of Global Turmoil in collaboration with the ReConnect China consortium.

CKN REKA Scenario-workshop: De toekomst van het Chinees-Russische partnerschap Hoe ontwikkelt de samenwerking tussen Moskou en Beijing zich in de komende jaren? Tijdens deze interactieve scenario-workshop staat het Chinees-Russische partnerschap centraal. Samen met de deelnemers verkennen we drie mogelijke toekomsten: een verslechtering van de relatie, een voortzetting van de huidige trend, een intensivering van de samenwerking op meerdere fronten.

This was the launch event of the report Standardisation with Chinese Characteristics. The Missing Pillar in Rebooting Europe’s Industrial Policy, commissioned by the China Knowledge Network (CKN), with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy as lead ministry.

The European Union and its member states face growing vulnerabilities due to economic dependencies on China, particularly in health, defence, and energy. As China increasingly employs economic statecraft tactics—using economic tools to exert geopolitical influence—the EU must find ways to safeguard its vital sectors.

The report examines three different areas: 1. Working conditions for Dutch journalists in China. 2. China’s influence and interference in Dutch-language media. 3. China’s influence and interference in Chinese-language media in the Netherlands. Researchers Bouwers and Kamerling interviewed dozens of (former) Dutch correspondents, news editors, and employees of Chinese-language media in the Netherlands about the extent to which they experience China’s attempts to influence and interfere in their work.

This CKN Knowledge Session is the first of a two part series about China and the West’s mutual knowledge and understanding. This first part delves into a critical topic that reveals the challenges the outside world faces in gaining an accurate understanding of China. The central question we'll explore is: If the image of China is incomplete or inaccurate, is it still possible to formulate sound China policy?

China in Africa - Confronting Complexity This themed session focuses on China in Africa, but the scope is broader. This session is intended as a context-setting meeting, providing a basis for policy-making in a later discussion. China's approach to Africa—and Africa’s response combined with Africa’s increasing political agency in its relationship with Europe (more broadly: the West)—says much about the shifting dynamics in the world. It is therefore essential to address the theme of ‘China in Africa’ in a broader context, one that centers on this complexity and encourages us to honestly reflect. The world is in flux. Russia and China are increasingly challenging Western approaches in other parts of the world, sometimes successfully in Africa. Meanwhile, the Netherlands is significantly cutting its development aid budget.

Voor: Medewerkers van het Rijk, provincies en gemeenten die in hun werk te maken hebben met China

The China Knowledge Network hosted an insightful discussion led by esteemed speakers Prof.dr. Christian Goebel of University of Vienna and Leiden University’s Ass.prof.dr. Carwyn Morris.

“To understand Xi Jinping Thought on foreign policy, we need to address three key questions: What are Xi’s ambitions for China globally? How does he see China’s place in the world? What guidelines has he set for Chinese foreign policy?”

Presentation by Frank Pieke and Bert Hofman about their research report Dealing with Decoupling from China: Business strategies in a changing world

Date: January 16, 2024