interest conflicts between the two sides”.^89 The Multi-tiered and comprehensive
political dialogue and cooperation between the two sides is indeed where the“solid
foundation”can be found. Meanwhile, as important political forces in the world,
both sides have increasingly broadened and deepened their political cooperation at
the international level.
However, future China-EU relations will still be beset by some uncertainties,
conflicts, twists and turns, which can be mainly attributed to the following reasons.
First, as mentioned above, the EU is a decision-maker and dialogist with a“dual
character”, and especially in the area of foreign policy (except the common com-
mercial policy), the EU is far from“a speaker with one voice”. Although the EU’s
policy towards China is a result from the compromises of the interests and positions
among its member states, it cannot be fully equal to nor completely replace the
policies and strategic positions of its member states, while the interests, ideas and
other forces inherent in the EU member states will continue to affect the devel-
opment of China-EU relations. As the EU still adopts the unanimous vote method in
its decision-making in many areas concerning the foreign policy, China-EU rela-
tions will meet more uncertainties in the future.^90
Second, China-EU relations are not determined merely by pure bilateral factors,
in which the USA always plays an important role and even a crucial one at some
occasions, such as in the case of the arms sales ban to China. As shown in the
introduction words to the EU-US Summit by the European Council,^91 from the
Europeans’perspective, the USA is the single most important strategic partner for
Europe and the transatlantic relations are“irreplaceable”, while joint action between
the EU and the USA will give rise to“fearful”powers. The EU has never used such
high-profile rhetoric to assess the EU-Russia relations or China-EU relations. This
reveals that the USA enjoys a unique position in the EU’s foreign strategy. The
contributions of factors besides the bilateral ones have further complicated
China-EU relations.
Finally, some value divergences will continue to exist in China-EU relations.
The history of China-EU relations demonstrates that values always constitute a
major source from which conflicts and disagreements arise between the two sides.
The EU and its member states will not stop taking excuse of these issues, especially
the human rights issue and the Tibet one to create troubles in the future.
Furthermore, along with the increasingly rich contents involved in China-EU
political cooperation and deepening cooperation, these issues may become more
prominent. Some of the conflicts and misunderstandings may be lessened along
with deepening mutual understanding and trust, but they will never disappear.
(^89) Speech by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at University of Cambridge (full text), Xinhuanet,http://
news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-02/03/content_10755604.htm.
(^90) See Zhou (2009a, p. 35).
(^91) EU-US Summit,http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/er/126281.pdf.
66 J. Li et al.