David Shambaugh on China-Europe Relations

On 15 April, 2010, Professor David Shambaugh gave a lecture “China-Europe Relations & Prospects: An American Perspective. Professor Shambaugh is an old friend of the Institute of European Studies, CASS, and is a well-known scholar of China-Europe relations. He is currently a visiting Senior Fulbright Research Scholar at the Institute of World Economics & Politics, CASS (2009-2010), on sabbatical from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Professor Shambaugh began his lecture with a historical review of China-European interactions during the 19th and early 20^th century, arguing that there had been an “ambivalent relationship” for both sides. For China, intellectual and political admiration and emulation of European ways mixed with the negative experience with imperialism, unequal treaties, wars, and territorial dismemberment. For Europe, China had been an object of fascination but also an object of imperial ambition. Thus, this historical ambivalence coloured mutual perceptions when the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949.

Throughout the Cold War, Professor Shambaugh described the “derivative relationship” China and Europe had with each other for more than four decades—the relationship derived largely from each side’s relations with Washington and Moscow. Thus, Professor Shambaugh argued that China and Europe really never established an independent and autonomous relationship until the mid-1990s. From 1995-2006 China-Europe relations developed quite quickly and positively, and finally established an autonomy of their own. 

Professor Shambaugh outlined the different components of the European strategy and policy towards China: engaging China bilaterally; drawing China deeper into international institutions; and contributing substantially to building “domestic capacities” in China. For its part, China reached out to Europe in commercial, academic, and governmental sectors.

Since 1996, however, Professor Shambaugh described how China-EU relations have soured (for a number of reasons) and they remain strained today.  Professor Shambaugh observed that while there remain inter-governmental issues to resolve, the biggest challenge to China-Europe relations comes at the societal level. This is particularly so in Europe, where European publics hold rather negative views of China.  Professor Shambaugh concluded, the main challenge for the future is to increase interactions among civil society and to improve mutual perceptions and understanding.