situation in which international peace and security affairs are handled among
members of the UN Security Council, both permanent members and nonpermanent
members.
5.1 Foundation and Willingness for China-EU
Cooperation in the UN Security Council
Both sides are willing and dedicated to promoting cooperation in the UN Security
Council on international peace and security issues, which is partly due to their
common understanding of how to strengthen international peace and security, partly
attributable to a mutual understanding and recognition of the other party’s impor-
tant role in international peace and security affairs. Policy papers concerning
China-EU relations released by both sides, communiqués and other documents
issued by both sides have made clear a common cognition, understanding and
recognition, by both sides, of the other side’s importance.
5.1.1 Both Sides Attach Importance to the Multilateralism
Method and the Role of the UN Security Council
on International Security Issues
Both China and the EU strongly support the essential role of the UN Security
Council in coping with global threats and challenges and in safeguarding interna-
tional peace and security; both sides consider authorization from the UN and
respect for international laws as preconditions for taking international actions. This
constitutes the important foundation for both sides to cooperate in the UN Security
Council.
On international affairs, the EU advocates effective multilateralism and believes
that the EU and the UN are“natural partners”on multilateralism.^1 In practice, The
EU/European Community also always seeks a place and a role in the UN. Since the
EU’s common foreign and security policy was provided by theMaastricht Treaty,
cooperation between the EU and the UN extended from trade, development,
humanitarian aid and environmental protection, etc. to areas involving international
peace and security, including antiterrorism, conflict prevention, crisis management,
peacekeeping, peace-building, etc. The EU attaches greater importance to the role
of the UN in thesefields. In the 2003European Security Strategy, the EU recog-
nized the primary responsibility of the UN Security Council for safeguarding
international peace and security, and clearly stated that one of the EU’s priority
goals was to strengthen the UN’s status to make it capable of performing its
(^1) Wouters ( 2007 ).
106 C. Weidong