Since2015,ChinaandtheEUhaveaccomplishedthreeconnectionsbetweentheirrespectivestrategicinitiatives,namely,theconnectionbetweentheBeltandRoadInitiativeandthe“Europe2020”strategy,theconnectionbetweenChina’sinternationalproductioncapacitycooperationplanandtheJunckerPlan,andtheconnectionbetweenthe“16+1”(Chinaand16CentralandEasternEuropeancountries)cooperationmechanismandtheChina-EUoverallcooperation.
Undertheframeworkofthosestrategicconnections,significantprogresswasmadeinexpandingChina-EUcooperationin2016.GuidedbytheoutcomesoftheG20HangzhouSummit,theChina-EUleaders’meeting,the“16+1”cooperationmechanism,andtheChina-EUHigh-levelEconomicandTradeDialogue,andtakingadvantageofcooperativeplatformsliketheChina-EUEconomicandTradeJointCommitteeandtheChina-Germany,China-France,andChina-UKdialoguesoneconomiccooperation,trade,andfinance,ChinaandtheEUhaveactivelypromotedtheconnectivityoftheirdevelopmentstrategies,soastoaccelerateinstitutionalconstructionthatfacilitateseachother’smarketadmissions,unleashthepotentialofbilateraleconomicandtradecooperation,andmakegreaterbreakthroughsintermsoftradeandeconomiccooperation.
OnFebruary22,2017,theTradeFacilitationAgreement,thefirstmultilateraltradeprotocolforgedsincethebirthoftheWorldTradeOrganization(WTO),cameintoforce.BothChinaandtheEUmadeconsiderablecontributionstomakingtheagreementpossible.Ofcourse,bothChinaandtheEUfacesomeuncertaintiesasthetwosidestrytodeepentheireconomicandtradecooperation.May19,2000:ChinaandtheEUsignabilateralagreementonChina’saccessionintotheWorldTradeOrganization.Xinhua
November21,2013:ChinesePremierLiKeqiangaddressesthe9thEU-ChinaBusinessSummit,togetherwithPresidentoftheEuropeanCouncilHermanVanRompuyandPresidentoftheEuropeanCommissionJoséManuelBarroso,inBeijing.byPangXinglei/XinhuaFirst,tradeprotectionismmeasuresarespringingupindevelopedcountries,includingtheUnitedStates.Followingan“AmericaFirst”policy,theTrumpadministrationhasannouncedU.S.withdrawalfromtheTrans-PacificPartnership(TPP),askedtorenegotiatetheNorthAmericanFreeTradeAgreement,andconsideredabordertaxonimports.ThemountingtradeprotectionismintheUnitedStates,aswellasitsshiftfrommultilateraltradearrangementstobilateraltradeprotocols,hascastashadowoverthesluggishworldeconomy.StatisticsreleasedbytheChinaRailwayCorporationshowthatatotalof1,702cargotrainsshuttledbetweenChinaandEuropein2016,ayear-on-yearincreaseof109percent.CFP
OnNovember30,2015,aChina-Europefreighttrain,settingoutfromYunnanProvincetoPoland’sLodz,returnedtoKunming,carryingbackPolishproductsincludingjuice,beer,mineralwater,brandy,fruitwineandcookies.CFP
August18,2016:WorkerscheckcontainersatarailwaystationinZhengzhou,centralChina’sHenanProvince.InternationalfreighttrainsshuttlingbetweenZhengzhouandEuropehavetransportedmorethan1,000kindsofproductsincludingelectronics,apparel,andautomobileparts,manufacturedbysome1,680companiesfrombothChinaandabroad.XinhuaSecond,theEUfacesuncertainpoliticalprospects.InearlyMarch2017,ontheeveofthe60thanniversaryoftheTreatyofRome,thesigningofwhichmarkedtheofficialestablishmentoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,theEuropeanCommissionreleasedtheWhitePaperontheFutureofEurope.TheWhitePapersetsoutfivescenarios,eachofferingaglimpseintothepotentialfutureoftheEU:Carryingoncurrentdevelopment;Nothingbutthesinglemarket;Thosewhowantmoredomore;Doinglessmoreefficiently;Doingmuchmoretogether.TheWhitePapercomesatatimewhentheEUisfacingunprecedenteddifficulties,especiallyaftertheBrexitreferendum.Atthemoment,theEUstandsatacrossroads,whichalsoaddsuncertaintiestotheoutlookforChina-EUtradeandeconomiccooperation.
Third,theEU’sdoubtsaboutChinaareincreasingduetotheriseofextremenationalismandtradeprotectionism,aswellasdisturbingfactorsfromthirdparties.TheEUover-emphasizes“equality”and“fairness”intermsofmarketopennessandlinksthesolvingofsteelproductionovercapacitywithfulfillingitsobligationasstipulatedinArticle15oftheprotocolontheaccessionofChinatotheWTO.Inaddition,ithaslaunchedinvestigationsintoChina’sinvestmentprojectsintheEUunderthepretextthattheyviolateditsacquisitionlaws,andhasdemandedanexorbitantpriceinnegotiationsforaChina-EUInvestmentAgreementwiththeexcuseof“sustainabledevelopment”and“protectinglaborers’rightsandinterests,”creatingbarrierstobilateraleconomicandtradecooperation.
Despitesthoseunfavorablefactors,opportunitiesstillprevailoverchallengesinChina-EUtradeandeconomiccooperation.
ThesoundpoliticaltiesbetweenChinaandtheEUgreatlybolstertheirbilateraleconomicandtraderelations.Strengtheningcooperationbetweenthetwosidescannotonlyfacilitatetheirrespectivedevelopment,butalsoacceleratethedevelopmentoftheworld’smultilateraltradesystem.In2017,win-wincooperationandshareddevelopmentwillremainthebedrockofChina-EUeconomicandtraderelations.Itisnecessaryforbothsidestodeepencooperationinawiderangeofareas.
First,thetwosidesneedtocontinuegivingfullplaytotheguidingroleofhigh-levelmutualvisitsandconsolidatetheconnectionbetweentheChina-proposedBeltandRoadInitiativeandtheEU’sdevelopmentstrategiesthroughvariousbilateralmechanismsandplatforms,soastoachieveprogressinpromotingpracticalcooperationassoonaspossible.
Second,thetwosidesneedtostrengthentheconstructionofbilateraleconomicandtradesystems,coordinatetheprocessofnegotiationsonChina-U.S.andChina-EUinvestmentagreements,achieveconsensusonessentialtextualproblemsandkeyprovisionsoftheChina-EUInvestmentAgreementasquicklyaspossible,andlaunchjointfeasibilityresearchonabilateralfreetradeareawhenconditionsareripe.
Third,thetwosidesneedtoproperlyaddressconcernsanddifficultiesrelatedtobilateraleconomicandtradecooperation,solveproblemsconcerningthefulfillmentofArticle15oftheprotocolontheaccessionofChinatotheWTOwithintheframeworkoftheWTO,andbroadenconsensusonhandlingproductionovercapacitythroughdialogueandcooperationratherthanconfrontation.
Fourth,thetwosidesneedtoproperlyimplementtheconsensusreachedattheSummitofChinaandCentralandEasternEuropean(CEE)Countries,andpushforwardcooperationinsuchcooperativeprojectsastheChina-EuropeLand-SeaExpressLine,theHungary-SerbiaRailway,China-Europefreighttrains,andGreece’sPiraeusPort,thuscreatinggoodexamplesforChinaEuropecooperation.
Finally,thetwosidesneedtokeepacloseeyeontheimpactsofBrexitandthetendencytowardsextremenationalismandconservatisminsomeEUcountries,enhanceacademicandpeople-topeopleexchanges,andjointlyvoicepositivesentimentsinatimelymannertocreatearational,healthyenvironmentforbilateraleconomicandtradecooperation.
TheauthorisaresearcherattheChineseAcademyofInternationalTradeandEconomicCooperationundertheChineseMinistryofCommerce.
October11,2006:AChineseexpertandhisEUcounterparttalkinfrontofabillboardfortheEU-ChinaScience&TechnologyYearinBrussels,hometotheheadquartersoftheEuropeanCommission.Xinhua