Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2012. xvi, 283 pp. (Tables, figures.) US$30.00, paper. ISBN 978-988-8083-88-6.
Not that many years ago, the rise of China was just the rise of China in Asia. Since China’s accession to the WTO, and particularly reinforced by the economic crisis that began in 2008, this is no longer the case. Now the rise of China is the rise of China in the world. This book attempts to capture a crucial part of this process, the bilateral/multilateral relations between Europe (the EU and its member states) and China.
This important book consists of ten chapters clustered in two main parts, the first one focused roughly on the international relations of Europe- China and the second on relevant topics, such as human rights, global warming and energy, and “China in Africa.” An unusual but quite interesting chapter on Sino-Vatican relations, by Beatrice Leung, is included. The book’s editor, Roland Vogt, has written a balanced introduction and conclusion, as well as an important chapter on the limitations of Europe’s partnership with China.
Xinning Song’s comprehensive first chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book. A common theme underlying most contributions is a critical examination of the official rhetoric of the Europe-China relationship, for example, the idea of “strategic partnership,” and a sober evaluation of the multiple constraints for the development of a more robust and constructive relationship.
A serious problem in preparing any complex volume like this one is that it is a slow process. In the context of a major European, and developing global, economic crisis some of the issues treated here become, by force, moving targets. For example, the analysis of the repercussions of Li Xiaobo’s Nobel Prize in 2010 and the incident of Chen Guangchen in 2012, which highly impacted the whole human rights disagreement, is virtually absent, as well as any evaluation of the leadership change in China in 2012–2013 and the potential impact of Obama’s reelection in the United States in November 2012. Certainly many of the book’s core ideas will likely remain relevant tools for students, scholars and analysts. Vogt’s conclusion tries to update the analysis. Additionally, no single book can capture all the complexities of the relationship and all the issues on the table, and all the ones analyzed here are indisputably relevant.
This useful book provides a nuanced and balanced analysis of the structural aspects of Europe-China relations. Yes, Kapur’s notion of “distant neighbours” (Kapur, 1990) and Rosenau’s of “distant proximities” (Rosenau, 2003) help us to understand the kind of world we are now living in, but it is China that is increasingly becoming less “distant” for everybody. Yet paradoxically, despite this increasing weight and assertiveness of China, the structure of this carefully researched book done by a balanced team of scholars still reflects a mostly European agenda, more “Europe-China” than “China-Europe.” The lack of a thorough analysis of differences over the question of the full market recognition, an important issue for China, is a good example of this. For this reason, the value of Lai Wang’s chapter on China’s perceptions of Europe is increased.
In recent years there has been a major shift in mainstream discourse in Europe about China, from China being a potential partner and balancer “that could be useful for diminishing or even challenging America’s influence” (1) to China as an economic threat or a rival evolving finally into China as an investor and financial helper, something that might put China in the de facto position of a lender of last resort. More confusing, the three aforementioned visions coexist and quite frequently different countries and the EU express contradictory points of view on them.
A salient issue in the relationship is the EU’s normative power, or mission civilisatrice, an approach that is critically examined in Chengxin Pan’s chapter. The global economic and sovereign debt crisis created an additional dilemma: how can Europe project its normative power (an essential, if quite problematic, identity component) vis-à-vis China when at the same time many of its members are desperately seeking Chinese economic support? There is no easy solution to this dilemma, but at least better management is required. The question of European pressure regarding human rights issues is touched upon by several contributors, and the comprehensive chapter by Tin Wai bravely focuses on it. The importance of this issue is reflected in the fact that Wai’s chapter heads up part II devoted to special issues.
Richard Balme and Steve Wood address two complex issues that have a greater need, and probably more potential, for cooperation: climate change and energy. Linda Jakobson and Jacob Wood take on the daunting task of making sense of the myriad instances of China’s intervention in Africa. Europe has been rapidly losing ground vis-à-vis China in Africa and Latin America, and the economic crisis has reinforced this trend.
Reuben Wong recognizes and skillfully analyzes the grave effect of the US on Europe-China relations, and the chapter is still relevant in helping us understand more recent developments. The US pivot to the Pacific and the rebalancing announced at the end of the first Obama administration, and the new effort for the establishment of a EU-NAFTA Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) have the potential to deeply influence the dynamics of Europe-China relations in coming years.
Gonzalo S. Paz
American University, Washington, DC, USA
pp. 313-315