20 Jan 2020

Two-Pager: COVID-19 and Europe-China relations

China Knowledge Network

covid19rp

Disclaimer: This two-pager has been prepared by the CKN Secretariat and should not be considered the work of the individuals listed as authors of the report.

Key Takeaways

The Covid-19 crisis has hit at a time when debates over the need to adopt more coherent strategies towards China have been emerging across Europe.
COVID-19 accelerated Europe’s shift towards viewing China as not only a partner, but also a strategic competitor and systemic rival.
In many ways, the current crisis has become a catalyst for a number of trends that have been shaping Europe-China relations in recent years, while in other ways it has turned the tables. It has simultaneously brought Europe and China into closer cooperation, pushed them further apart, and seemingly underlined the fractures that exist within Europe on how to approach an increasingly influential China.
China’s pandemic diplomacy generated both goodwill and criticism, prompting European countries to reassess their dependence on China and the future of Europe-China relations.

READ THE TWO-PAGER HERE (99.13 KB)

China Knowledge Network

The Dutch China Knowledge Network (CKN) is a network established to involve China experts and disseminate knowledge within the government of the Netherlands and beyond.Our key task is to connect various angles of research and events to better understand China’s motives, policies and vision to develop more effective policies and better advise social partners. The secretariat of the knowledge network has been assigned to think tank Clingendael together with LeidenAsiaCentre. They will function primarily as ‘knowledge brokers’, matching the supply and demand of knowledge.