Minister Clegg met Dalai in May 2012, for which the summit meeting and strategic
dialogue between the leaders of China and the UK were both postponed. Due to the
delay in political and strategic relations, the UK’s proportion of investments in
China declined drastically to 36 % in the EU in 2012. There are many benefits from
developing a good China-UK relations, including being complementary in eco-
nomic development, creating open and free concepts, a global vision and a practical
tradition, but the relations in various areas will be negatively affected at different
degrees if the wrong strategic choices are made.
A large number of Central and Eastern European countries joined the EU in
- This drastic change in international geopolitics caused a structural transfor-
mation in the relations between China and Central and Eastern European countries,
even with the EU. The fact that the EU rules are applicable to Central and Eastern
European countries not only elevated the EU’s international position and role, but
also provided China with the opportunity to develop relations with European
countries in a more comprehensive way. China reexamined and adjusted her rela-
tions with Central and Eastern European countries, and combined traditional
diplomacy with realistic diplomacy. After the globalfinancial crisis in 2008, Central
and Eastern European countries were affected to different extents, and China and
Central and Eastern European countries became remarkably more eager and
inclined to enhance cooperation with each other. Based on the unique history and
culture, geopolitics and economic basis of Central and Eastern European countries,
China began to handle the relations with Central and Eastern European countries in
a region-specific way that is suitable for these countries in 2011, thus enriching
strategic partnership relations between China and the EU. In 2012, leaders from
China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries attended the summit held in
Warsaw, Poland and released a press communiqué, emphasizing that“there is a
long history of friendship between China and Central and Eastern European
countries and a mutual relationship is an important part of the entire China-EU
relations”.^26 Since then, the relationship between China and Central and Eastern
European countries has entered a new historical phase of rapid development.
Southern European countries play an important role in inciting China and the EU
to establish sustainable, steady and healthy relations at the EU level and in major
international affairs. After China and the EU established the comprehensive
strategic partnership, China upgraded its bilateral relations with Italy, Spain,
Portugal and Greece to comprehensive strategic partnerships from 2003 to 2005,
and gradually set up a series of bilateral cooperation mechanisms. In the past
decade, with the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU integrated and coordinated
its foreign policies, making the relations between China and Southern European
countries more“EU”. Suffering a severe impact from the globalfinancial crisis,
Southern European countries began to exchange and cooperate with China more
actively. China actively provides support for Southern European countries morally
(^26) Press Communiquéof the Summit between Leaders of China and Central and Eastern European
Countries.http://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2012-04/27/content_2124462.htm.
18 H. Zhou