Madariaga - College of Europe Foundation

24 November 2011, Brussels 

As China grows in global power and influence, it is critically important for the European Union to forge a close and cooperative relationship with it. Equally China needs good relations with the EU, which forms its largest single market. At times of financial crisis, both sides need each other even more. The EU and China are committed to what they call a comprehensive strategic partnership but EU-China ties have not always been smooth. Too often, Chinese and Europeans misunderstand each other.

An effective EU China policy has to be based on a thorough understanding of the image of the EU in Chinese minds and China's behaviour in its interaction with the EU. This briefing will present the results of a survey-based research project, co-funded by the EU's Seventh Framework Programme, to pursue a comprehensive understanding of how different segments of Chinese society view the EU, and assess the implications for the EU's China Strategy.

The project conducted by a six-member consortium led by the China Policy Institute of the University of Nottingham in the UK with Leiden University of the Netherlands, Jacobs University in Bremen, the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Renmin University in Beijing, and the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House in London.

The organisers invited participants to the project dissemination event in Brussels, which was organised with the support of the Madariaga - College of Europe Foundation.

The speakers' presentations and the policy papers are available at:

For more information please contact Maddalena Malgarini at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 Programme