Within the EU, Chinas engagement with the Global South and growing influence across many regions of the world are not necessarily well understood. There is a general perception that China is not popular and that its global charm offensive of the last two or three decades has failed. In fact, this is not necessarily the case. For instance, China is now more favoured than the US in some countries in Africa and the Middle East. Views of China vary, but are certainly not always as negative as they tend to be in Europe. This workshop was therefore envisaged as a starting point for discussion of how Chinas initiatives and regional cooperation platforms are challenging and changing the international order, including detailed insights from researchers who have on-the-ground experience of reactions and approaches to Chinas economic diplomacy in selected countries.
The workshop brought together experts and stakeholders from across the European Union to discuss issues related to Chinas expanding global influence. China (in at least partial cooperation with Russia) is building a rival to the Western-led rules-based international order via frameworks such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). New members such as Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates have recently been recruited to BRICS and up to 50 others are apparently waiting in the wings. The SCO now contains India and Pakistan as well as the Central Asian states, plus a dozen or so observers and dialogue partners. In the face of this apparent challenge to the West, there is an important question about the EU should or can (with or without the assistance of the US) do in response.
