Following its continuing economic development and together with its vast size, long history and large population, China has gradually emerged as a leading player in global affairs. Accordingly, China’s foreign policy since the beginning of the 21st century has been forged by two main tendencies. On one hand, as a rising power, it carries an important role as an actor of peaceful global development, which equally affects its foreign and domestic policies. On the other, it has to counter global perceptions viewing China as a ‘rising threat’. These issues were raised at a Public Lecture organized by ELIAMEP on 30 March 2009, with Professor Yu Xintian, Director of the Academic Committee, Shanghai Institute for International Studies (SIIS).
According to Professor Yu Xintian, these tendencies sketch a number of domestic and foreign policy priorities. Firstly, China has to make clear to the world that as it develops it will not seek a hegemonic role, but it will seek for modes of cooperation between existing and rising powers. In this context, it needs to explore new approaches for cooperation and reach win-win results while balancing its national together with the global interests. Secondly, as China’s modernization process is interlinked to the world, the country needs to assume the responsibilities stemming from this process and provide public goods globally, according to its ability.
On the other hand, however, while China does share similar values with the rest of the world, foremost the principles of development, peace, cooperation, human rights and the rule of law, they don’t agree that there is only one model to promote and uphold them. Even more so, China does not accept that any one model can be imposed over other states. Overall, China’s foreign policy has changed in the sense that it does not seek to serve simply the national interest but more so, the interest of the Chinese people who increasingly move around the world.
In this sense, the perceptions the Chinese hold about the world and Europe specifically are important in forming the Chinese foreign policy. For the European Union specifically, and due to the highly developed trade taking place between the two parties, the Chinese regard the EU-China relationship as very friendly while they also believe that the EU will play in important role in the global political and economic system. However, over 75% also believe that there is not much comprehension between the Chinese and the Europeans. According to Prof. Yu Xintian this is a problem that needs to be solved in order to promote and improve Euro-Chinese relations. It could be achieved through the enhanced interaction and exchanges on the individual level, rather than only the governmental level and not only rely on mass media sources. Moreover, there are a number of issues of apparent miscomprehension that from the point of view of the Chinese people, need to be addressed. Among them most important are the embargo on weapons, as it indicates a lack of mutual trust; the Tibet issue, which the Chinese regard as highly important and internal; moreover, the issue of human rights on which the people feel that China has made great improvements even if work needs still to be done, while on the question of Taiwan, the Chinese are ready to solve it under the principles of the rule of law and regulation. Finally, because of the fact that the EU seems to be recognizing Russia as a market economy while it does not recognize China as such,  there are many Chinese who view the EU as having double-standards.
Overall, China-EU relations are promising; however, the peoples’ understanding is frail, which can be an obstacle in strengthening further the relations between the two parties and it is essential to improve it through direct exchanges, consideration of the sensitive policy issues, reducing conflicts and placing epmhasis on commonalities of interests and values.

The SIIS was founded in 1960 under the initiative of late Premier Zhou Enlai and is a comprehensive research organization for studies of international politics, economy, security strategy and China’s external relations. It is one of three most important think-tanks on international studies. The SIIS is dedicated to serving for China’s modernization drive, and for Shanghai’s opening-up and economic development. Its country/area studies mainly cover the United States, Japan, Europe, Russia, the Asia-Pacific region, Central Asia and the Middle East, focusing on relations among major powers and China’s great periphery environments. On 9th January 2008, the SIIS is listed in the “Top 10 Think Tanks in the world (non-US)” as the only Chinese think tank in a recent survey carried out by Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) based at Philadelphia

Read the interview of Professor Ye Jiang, Director of European Studies, SIIS