Report: From a China strategy to no strategy at all: Exploring the diversity of European approaches

In July 2023, the European Think-Tank Network on China (ETNC) published, under the editorial coordination of MERICS, the report: From a China strategy to no strategy at all: Exploring the diversity of European approaches.

This report is an analysis of 24 European countries’ strategies on China, including Romania.

Authors focused on the following guiding questions:

National China strategies: Where do member states and other European countries stand?
Mechanisms: How do European countries coordinate and share information on China?
EU tools: Which national instruments exist for implementation?
Risk analysis: Which approaches do countries take?
Working with China: In which Chinese institutional frameworks do countries participate?
Spotlight on Taiwan: What activities exist in this contested space?

Andreea Brinza, RISAP expert, participated as one of the authors of this report, writing the chapter dedicated to Romania.

Romania: No official China strategy, but still a strategy Summary

Romania and the People’s Republic of China have a long history that is paved with many ups and downs. If in the past Romania used to be among the PRC’s closest friends, today, even without an official strategy on China, Romania is distancing itself more and more from Beijing. Actions taken by the Government of Romania indicate that, over the past four years, it does seem to have a non-official strategy regarding China – that of reassuring its main Western partners, the US and the EU, of its strategic position, while reducing perceived risks emanating from previously closer ties to China. Despite this aspect, Romania plays only a passive role in shaping the EU policy toward China. […]

The report is available on the MERICS website and the chapter on Romania can be found at pages 129-135.

From a China strategy to no strategy at all

Exploring the diversity of European approaches

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Photo Credits: Flickr/European Council President (cropped)

China, China-Europe, China-European Union, ETNC, The European Union

Andreea Brinza

Andreea Brinza is a researcher and the Vice President of RISAP. Her interests are related to the geopolitics, geostrategy and geoeconomics of the Asia-Pacific region and especially China. Her research focuses on the Belt and Road Initiative.