China and the European Union have, for a long time, sustained a cooperative, yet at the same time, antagonistic relationship. The surge in Chinese FDI in Europe, after the global financial crisis,...Show moreChina and the European Union have, for a long time, sustained a cooperative, yet at the same time, antagonistic relationship. The surge in Chinese FDI in Europe, after the global financial crisis, exacerbated unfavorable opinions of China, due to skepticism surrounding the intentions behind this investment increase. There is in place the belief that Chinese investment is negatively contributing to EU cohesiveness, by putting member states against each other to curry for China’s favour and secure investments, thus putting at risk the European order. The period post-2008 financial crisis saw Portugal becoming an important recipient of Chinese FDI, and as such, this paper analyzes the impact Chinese FDI has in Portuguese foreign policy and its integration in the EU. Portugal proves to be a unique case in comparison with other member states, due to its long-lasting relationship with China, and positive track record as a member of the EU. This dissertation examines this issue by using liberal intergovernmentalism and motivations behind Chinese investment, to argue that Portugal’s domestic interests play an important role in how it handles both China and the EU, as well as to defend that Chinese investment in Portugal as shown to be economically motivated. The results suggest that Portugal maintains a consistent and unchanged, for the most part, China policy. Furthermore, since most of Portugal’s domestic interests are met by the EU, according to liberal intergovernmentalism, in this way, it continues to contribute to its integration in the union. All in all, Chinese FDI in Portugal shouldn’t pose as a concern to the EU, seeing as the data reveals that Portugal’s top investors continue to be fellow member states, with China comprising a modest and slowly decreasing percentage. Therefore, the novelty of Chinese FDI in Europe continues to perpetuate an exaggerated anxiety, along with often unnecessary concerns, regarding the impact of said investment in Portugal.Show less
The Social Credit System is an automated mechanism that, collecting citizens’ personal information, aims at restoring trustworthiness in Chinese society. At the same time, this system might serve...Show moreThe Social Credit System is an automated mechanism that, collecting citizens’ personal information, aims at restoring trustworthiness in Chinese society. At the same time, this system might serve the purpose of restoring CCP’s moral legitimacy. To shed a light on this second objective, I explore and explain how morality came to be relevant in sustaining political authority in imperial China and why it is still important in Chinese contemporary political discourse. After having depicted the symptoms of China’s moral decay, I analyze the scope and objectives of the SCS. Specifically, I show how the logic behind a peculiar form of Chinese social relation, namely guānxi came to influence the SCS. Moreover, I depict the SCS as an educative tool to mold a new kind of society hinging on the concept of sincerity. Nevertheless, I caution about the potential risks and inefficacies of this didactic automated mechanism.Show less
