Where the roads meet: Understanding Sino-European relations through the lens of the Belt and Road Initiative

China and Europe have significantly expanded their economic relations in recent years. However, this cooperation has developed at a slower pace in the political realm. Both actors expressed their willingness to translate their economic ties into a “strategic partnership” which will allow China and Europe to represent more of a building blocks in the international system. The main narrative in the EU-China literature is that China and Europe are too ideologically distant and thus, they will never achieve a strong partnership that goes beyond economic cooperation. Moreover, the literature presents China as an assertive actor that is looking outward just to gain economic and political advantages and the sympathy of like-minded countries. It is not a surprise that when in March 2019 the Italian government decided to join China in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), The US and other major European countries have highly criticized Italy’s naïveté. Contributing to...Show moreChina and Europe have significantly expanded their economic relations in recent years. However, this cooperation has developed at a slower pace in the political realm. Both actors expressed their willingness to translate their economic ties into a “strategic partnership” which will allow China and Europe to represent more of a building blocks in the international system. The main narrative in the EU-China literature is that China and Europe are too ideologically distant and thus, they will never achieve a strong partnership that goes beyond economic cooperation. Moreover, the literature presents China as an assertive actor that is looking outward just to gain economic and political advantages and the sympathy of like-minded countries. It is not a surprise that when in March 2019 the Italian government decided to join China in the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), The US and other major European countries have highly criticized Italy’s naïveté. Contributing to critical scholarship, this thesis engages in constructivist theory to analyse the different identities and normative drivers underlying European and Chinese BRI discourse. This thesis argues that European and Chinese identities are not fixed concepts and since the establishment of the BRI, Europe and China have presented themselves with divergent identities. This thesis aimed to provide an answer to the question why, and to what extent, Italian participation in the BRI proves that, despite some important normative differences that underline EU-China relations, in reality, EU members can overcome this identity clash and engage in a constructive dialogue with China that is neither detrimental nor dangerous for the EU. This thesis offers a contribution to the realist dominated BRI literature by outlining the constructivist forces that shape EU-China relations. The finding of this research add a constructivist voice to the ongoing debate around the BRIShow less

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Where the roads meet: Understanding Sino-European relations through the lens of the Belt and Road Initiative