execution by the European Commission.^30 As a supranational institution, compared
with the other institutions, the European Commission is more objective and prag-
matic towards China.
First, as the policy drafter, all of the EU’s policy papers towards China are
released by the European Commission in the form of“communications”, identi-
fying the strategic direction for developing China-EU relations, and the 2003 policy
paper in particular laid a foundation for the China-EU“Comprehensive Strategic
Partnership”. For example, this paper insisted that a“mature partnership”meant
that China-EU relations should be characterized by comprehensive engagement,
multi-tiered exchanges, institutional connections, and etc. The development of
China-EU relations after 2003 showed that the EU’s efforts had indeed been
directed at such a direction, while the entry of China-EU relations into the period of
relatively complicated adjustment started from and was marked by the release of the
policy paper towards China by the European Commission in 2006.
Second, compared with the European Parliament which puts a relatively more
important emphasis on ideology and with the Council of the European Union and
the European Council who are to a great degree affected by domestic politics, the
European Commission is relatively neutral on its China policy and less concerned
with the ideological values. Especially before 2006, the European Commission took
a relatively friendly attitude on some sensitive political issues including human
rights, labor standards, the issues concerning Taiwan and Tibet, and etc. Though the
European Commission placed more emphasis on its values after 2006, it remained
relatively moderate compared with the other institutions. Furthermore, as shown in
the China Strategy Paper, 2007– 2013 released in 2006,^31 the European
Commission still hoped to engage in an in-depth strategic dialogue with China on
various international issues, clearly expressed its“support for China’s sustainable
and successful development into a stable, prosperous and open country”, and
believed that“this was of great economic and political significance to the EU”.^32
Third, the economic and trade relation is the most important foundation for
China-EU relations, while the European Commission is the institution responsible
for the EU’s common commercial policy. Overall, the European Commission took
an active and positive stance towards China-EU trade. In its opinion, China-EU
economic and trade cooperation is of momentous significance, and the rapidly
developing Chinese market provides huge opportunities for Europe and enjoys
great potential for further expanding bilateral trade and investment as well as
strengthening bilateral relations. However, the European Commission still held that
some problems still existed in China with regard to market access, non-tariff
(^30) The Changing Image of China in the European Union, Zhou (2009b, p. 5).
(^31) http://eeas.europa.eu/china/csp/07_13_en.pdf.
(^32) EU Commission, “Strategy for Cooperation with China (2007–2013),”http://europa.eu/
legislation_summaries/external_relations/relations_with_third_countries/asia/rx0025_en.htm.
48 J. Li et al.