Despite obstacles, China and Europe seek to build a fair partnership with their solid foundation of cooperation.
Drone show offered to representatives of European advanced manufacturing companies visiting Chongqing, November 18, 2025
In 2025, China and the European Union (EU) held a series of events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, demonstrating their common desire to strengthen mutual understanding and deepen ties of friendship.
Beyond simple “cultural exchanges”, dialogue and mutual inspiration between civilizations constitute a real system of practices. This framework encompasses cooperation in areas as varied as politics, economics, science and technology and culture, where each civilization shines through its achievements. This system is based on equality, mutual respect, complementarity of assets and win-win cooperation. Transcending bilateral interests, it focuses on the common future and sustainable development of humanity – a key part of the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2023.
The history of trade between China and Europe is old. In his speech at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, Xi stressed the need to build four bridges: for peace, growth, reform and progress of human civilization. Over the years, the development of this “civilizational partnership” has significantly strengthened the resilience of China-Europe relations.
Students present their works for the final evaluation of the Chinese ink painting elective course at the Cambrai Higher School of Art and Communication in Brussels, Belgium, December 19, 2025.
A solid foundation
First, China and Europe advocate respect for cultural diversity and encourage exchanges on an equal footing between civilizations. Their respective heritages are characterized by great richness, and the principle of “unity in diversity” specific to European integration echoes the traditional Chinese concept of “harmony without uniformity”.
Second, China and Europe share political consensus and common values on major issues, such as maintaining peace and promoting common development. Both sides defend multilateralism, agree on the need to preserve the multilateral trading system and oppose trade protectionism. This consensus also extends to the concerted management of global challenges.
Finally, the achievements of China-EU cooperation provide a solid foundation for the future. Bilateral relations are structured around three major pillars: high-level dialogues devoted to strategy, economy and trade, as well as human exchanges. As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out over the past fifty years, “the most valuable experience is mutual respect, the strongest driving force is shared benefit, the strongest consensus is commitment to multilateralism, and the most relevant definition is partnership.” »
Challenges to overcome
For Lancôme’s 90th anniversary, a Christmas art installation is on display at the Dream Center in front of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, December 25, 2025.
It is undeniable that certain obstacles hinder the deepening of Sino-European exchanges.
First, differences in ideological perception remain. Although China and Europe share universal values such as peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, differences exist in the interpretation and implementation of these principles. For example, while both parties advocate respect for cultural diversity, the Chinese political, economic and social systems, as legitimate expressions of this diversity, are not always fully understood in Europe. This gap constitutes a major obstacle to dialogue.
Second, the EU’s strategic positioning vis-à-vis China lacks coherence. China has always upheld the comprehensive strategic partnership, structured around four major areas: peace, growth, reform and civilization. However, since 2019, the EU has defined China as “a partner, a competitor and a systemic rival”. The excessive emphasis placed on competition and rivalry by certain European actors amplifies the differences. This vision, by moving away from an objective analysis of Chinese reality, risks compromising pragmatic cooperation.
Third, the restructuring of economic and commercial exchanges poses new challenges. If this cooperation remains the driving force of bilateral relations and a pillar of global stability, certain European discourses focus excessively on the trade deficit. However, the balance of exchanges alone does not reflect the essence of their partnership. Disparities in economic scale and the complexity of global flows imply that balance does not come down to strict equality in the volume of trade. The Sino-European economic and trade structure results from a dynamic balance. Relying on their respective strengths and the principle of mutual benefit, the two sides can deepen fair cooperation.
A promising future
Deepening exchanges requires joint efforts. First, it is necessary to strengthen interactions at all levels. In the future, both sides should make full use of their strengths to consolidate the political foundations and public support necessary for multi-sector cooperation.
Emphasis must also be placed on multidimensional dialogue. Communication is essential to identify mutual expectations. It is desirable that the European side can objectively understand competition in cooperation, in order to build a model with China based on shared benefits.
In addition, we must tackle global challenges together. In fifty years, Sino-European relations have gone beyond the bilateral framework to acquire strategic reach and global influence. It is necessary to deepen political and strategic mutual trust in international affairs, expand areas of cooperation and make progress toward resolving global crises. Such an approach will demonstrate the responsibility, capacity for action and commitment specific to the great powers.
Finally, a crucial element cannot be neglected: the common will. Differences have never prevented the two sides from achieving remarkable results. As long as China and the EU remain faithful to the fundamental principles of equality and mutual respect, they will be able to overcome current obstacles. They will thus ensure the stable and sustainable development of the civilizational partnership, bringing tangible benefits to the populations of both sides as well as to the international community.
*ZHANG JINLING is a researcher at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Secretary-General of the Center for the Study of Marxism and European Civilization.
