2.4 Case Studies for China-EU Political Cooperation
The China-EU political cooperation encompasses a very wide range of areas,
including security, defense, crisis management, human rights, immigration,
development and cooperation in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean Region, and
etc. This paper will only focus on the following twofields as a case study.
2.4.1 Security, Arms Control and Crisis Management
In the recent decade, China and the EU have carried out many political dialogues
concerning security and arms control, but pragmatic cooperation between the two
sides has taken place in only a fewfields. On the contrary, theArms Trade Treaty
negotiations under the UN and China-EU cooperation on anti-piracy navigation
escort outside the bilateral dialogues have become the bright spots in the cooper-
ation between the two sides. In addition, cyber security and crisis management have
gradually become keyfields for dialogue and cooperation between the two sides in
recent years.
2.4.1.1 Issues of Security and Arms Control Discussed
at the China-EU Summits
The proposal for a China-EU security and arms control dialogue wasfirst put
forward at the 5th China-EU Summit in 2002. In a joint communiquéissued after
this summit, both sides emphasized the importance of strengthening the dialogue on
such issues as nonproliferation, arms control and disarmament. in multilateralfields.
Meanwhile, anti-terrorism was included as an issue for consultation for thefirst
time.^50 In 2003, security was incorporated into the agenda as an important issue at
the China-EU Summit at which the necessity for strengthening nonproliferation and
arms control was emphasized.^51 At the 7th Summit in 2004, both sides signed the
Joint Declaration on Non-proliferation and Arms Control and mutually recognized
the other party as the important strategic partner in thisfield. In the same year, the
EU clearly expressed the political willingness to lift the ban on arms sales to China
for thefirst time.^52 However, due to strong opposition from the USA, the EU
changed its position by stating at the 8th Summit in 2005 that the process on lifting
the ban on arms sales to China should be continued on the basis of the European
(^50) Snyder et al. ( 2013 , p. 591).
(^51) Joint Press Communiquéof the 6th China-EU Leaders’Meeting, People’s Daily Online,http://
http://www.people.com.cn/GB/shizheng/1024/2161621.html.
(^52) Joint Press Communiquéof the 7th China-EU Leaders’Meeting, reproduced from China Daily
by Sina.com,http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2004-12-09/08184472853s.shtml.
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