Partnership in the Face of Global Challenges

Forty-five years of EU-China diplomatic relations have created a comprehensive strategic partnership between the EU and China to jointly cope with global challenges and support each other.

- NICOLAS CHAPUIS

IT was 45 years ago, on May 6, 1975 in Beijing when Christopher Soames, vice president of the European Commission in charge of external relations, and Qiao Guanhua, minister of foreign affairs of the People’s Republic of China, formalized the establishment of diplomatic relations of the two sides. The day before, despite his hospitalization, Premier Zhou Enlai had insisted on receiving Soames.

China’s recognition of European integration echoed its strategic intention to “counter the desire for the hegemony of the superpowers” by relying as much on the desire for autonomy and unity of the Europeans, as on the quality of the relationship between the European Economic Community (EEC) and developing countries (the Lomé Convention had just been signed in February 1975). On the European side, besides Soames’ personal interest in China, it was about taking advantage of China’s readmission into the United Nations (1971) and the process of normalization of Sino-American relations (1972-1979) to establish official relations with Beijing – just as the ECC had done with India as early as 1962.

May 1975 would also open a new chapter in the shared history of Europe and China through Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping’s visit to France (May 12-17). This historic move, the first visit by a Chinese state leader to the West, heralded the forward development of comprehensive relations between Europe and China.

Forty-five years later, the relationship between the European Union (EU) and China has become a pillar of the international system.

From Development Aid to Global Strategic Partnership