29 June 2016
The European Commission and European External Action Service released their Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on Elements for a new strategy on China on 22 June 2016 in Brussels. On 29 June 2016, BACES organised an informal discussion on the EU paper at the VUB. It is the first reflection by a group of experts on EU-China relations organised by BACES.
Professor Xinning Song gave a brief introduction to BACES and the new paper, and 15 experts in the field held an active discussion on the paper, from the history, security, economic elements to aspects of human rights, and European values, as well as the impacts of Brexit on EU-China relations. Professor Steffi Weil gave the concluding remarks. Experts also discussed the follow-up activities and possibility to organise a research group on EU-China relations in the near future.
Participants came from the VUB (including three PhD students), European Parliament (Mr. Victor Bostinaru, Vice Chair, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament and Member of Delegation of Relationship with People’s Republic of China), the European Institute for Asia Studies, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the University of Leuven, Lancaster University, UK and the China Mission to the EU.