Why Does China Want to Build A New Type of Major Power Relations With the EU Against the Background of the EU's Identification to China as A Systemic Rival
Author
Hanlin, Li
Term
4. term
Publication year
2022
Pages
59
Abstract
In 2019, the EU described China as a "systemic rival," signaling greater competition. Yet China’s policy toward the EU emphasizes cooperation and building a "new type of major power relations." This thesis asks why China pursues this goal even as the EU frames it as a rival. The study combines two international relations perspectives: neorealism and social constructivism. Neorealism highlights national interests, the security dilemma (defensive moves can look threatening and fuel mistrust), and the balance of power. Social constructivism focuses on how identities and shared ideas shape state behavior, including concepts like sociological structures and a "security community" (groups of states that expect peaceful dispute resolution). Methodologically, the thesis uses quantitative data to assess neorealist patterns and qualitative data—especially qualitative content analysis of Chinese documents—to examine China’s self-identity. The findings show that China’s push for a new type of relationship with the EU reflects both identity and interests. China presents itself as a responsible major power seeking mutually beneficial ties, and judges that a united, stable, and prosperous EU better serves its economic and strategic goals than a weak, divided EU. Cooperation with the EU is therefore in China’s interest, even against the backdrop of the EU’s rivalry framing.
I 2019 beskrev EU Kina som en "systemisk rival" – et signal om mere konkurrence. Alligevel søger Kina ifølge sin EU-politik at samarbejde og at opbygge en "ny type stormagtsrelationer" med EU. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvorfor Kina forfølger dette mål, når EU samtidig ser Kina som en rival. Studiet kombinerer to perspektiver i international politik: neorealisme og social konstruktivisme. Neorealisme fokuserer på nationale interesser, sikkerhedsdilemmaet (at forsvarstiltag kan opfattes som truende og skabe gensidig mistillid) og magtbalance. Social konstruktivisme ser på, hvordan identiteter og fælles ideer former international adfærd, herunder begreber som sociologisk struktur og "sikkerhedsfællesskab" (grupper af stater, som forventer fredelig konfliktløsning). Metodisk anvendes kvantitative data til at teste neorealistiske mønstre og kvalitative data – herunder kvalitativ indholdsanalyse af kinesiske dokumenter – til at belyse Kinas selvforståelse og identitet. Analysen viser, at Kinas ønske om en ny type relation med EU både er formet af identitet og af interesser. Kina præsenterer sig som en ansvarlig stormagt, der søger gensidigt fordelagtigt samarbejde, og vurderer, at et samlet, stabilt og velstående EU i højere grad gavner Kinas økonomiske og strategiske mål end et svagt og splittet EU. Derfor er samarbejde med EU i Kinas interesse, selv på baggrund af EU’s rivalramme.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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