Perspectives on China-Europe & int'l cooperation amidst pandemic

The outbreak of COVID-19 has heavily impacted agendas in Brussels and Beijing. Worldwide, confirmed coronavirus cases have topped 2 million, while Europe has witnessed high fatalities.

On April 23, the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) held a webinar titled “The year of Europe on amid a pandemic: Perspectives on European integration and China-Europe cooperation.”This online seminar brought together scholars and experts from both Europe and China to discuss how China and Europe could cooperate to defeat the pandemic. 

Wang Huiyao, CCG president, said that as the three largest economies in the world, the EU, China and the United States should set aside differences and play a leading role in strengthening global coordination and global governance.

Justin Vaisse, director-general of the Paris Peace Forum, highlighted the interdependence among all countries in response to the pandemic. He called for vertical multilateralism, which requires efforts and cooperation from states, foundations, the private sector, NGOs, citizens, and other actors to address the challenges facing all human beings.

Cui Hongjian, senior research fellow and director of the Department for European Studies at China Institute of International Studies and CCG nonresident senior fellow, said that there are many differences between China and the EU, but mutual trust should be maintained. Rather than complain, mutual respect is a top priority for cooperation in this period.

Jean-Christophe Bas，chief executive officer and executive board chairman of the Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute (DOC), said that the pandemic crisis reflects the weaknesses of the existing international architecture. However, it also provides a window of opportunity to create a real conversation on what we should do and move from words to action and concrete commitments, which are what we need today.

Paolo Magri, executive vice president and director of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI）said that Europe and China should continue to build upon current cooperation to reinforce the fragile architecture of multilateral governance. Building on good cooperation experience between Europe and China in the field of climate, he expressed hopes that the two sides could expand collaborations on other areas.

Zha Daojiong, professor of International Political Economy at the Peking University and CCG expert advisor, said that the EU and China should take responsibility and forge leadership to encourage vaccine companies to do patent pooling, cutting down the cost of production, and open procurement access for less-developed countries such as African countries and Latin American countries.

Alistair Michie, secretary-general of the British East Asia Council (BEAC) and executive chairman of the UK-China Business Leaders Confederation (UKCBLC), said that whatever happens going forward, there is the most pressing need for unified global leadership and that there is still time for that to emerge. The prospect for humanity is grim if nations accelerate the trend of blaming and insulting each other.

Francoise Nicolas，senior research fellow and director of the Center for Asian Studies at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), said that there has been a divide in the EU during the current crisis. She quoted Jean Monet’s point that “Europe will be forged in crisis,” and said that although there is no solution which everybody agrees on, the EU will find a path in the battle against the pandemic.

Sara Marchetta, states’ representative of the European Union Chamber of Commerce (EUCCC) in China, said that sentiment of European companies in China remains relatively positive, so there is no expectation of a mass outflow of investment. However, expectations of weaker export demand may affect the business rebound of EUCCC members in China.

Min Hao, founder, chairman, and CEO of the Nanjing Easthouse Electric Ltd and CCG senior council member, said that globalization is always needed to reduce operating costs and obtain better products.

CCG Books

● Published by Edward Elgar 

● Edited by Wang Huiyao, President and Miao Lu, Vice President, Center for China and Globalization(CCG), Beijing, China 

More Information

An excellent guide for understanding the trends, challenges and opportunities facing China through globalization, this Handbook answers the pertinent questions regarding the globalization process and China’s influence on the world.

With contributions from leading experts and international researchers, each chapter covers key topics regarding China’s participation in globalization, including: China’s new role in global economic governance; outward direct investment; China’s soft power and the implications for foreign relations; global migration, diaspora and talent. An enriching range of case studies and extensive empirical research are used to explore the successes and failures of globalization in China, and to discuss the dilemmas facing decision makers in today’s globalized world. A major contribution to the field, this Handbook offers valuable insights to China’s often misunderstood globalization process.

An essential reference for academics and researchers looking for a go-to empirical resource, this Handbook provides scholars of economics, politics and East Asian studies with an exemplary selection of contemporary research on China and globalization.

● Links：

https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/handbook-on-china-and-globalization

● Published by Springer

● Authors: Wang Huiyao, President and Miao Lu, Vice President, Center for China and Globalization(CCG), Beijing, China 

The first effort to address the gap regarding higher-end talent within the scholarly work on internal labor migration in China

Provides an essential overview of the major milestones in China’s talents attraction policies, as well as several recommendations to help further improve those policies

Investigates corresponding policies in Germany, Japan, and Singapore to serve as a basis for comparison

Provides a snapshot of first-hand reference material for relevant stakeholders involved in cooperation with China

More Information

This book offers the most comprehensive, up-to-date assessment of China’s domestic and international migration. Restructuring economic development requires large numbers of educated and skilled talents, but this effort comes at a time when the size of China’s domestic workforce is shrinking. In response, both national and regional governments in China have been keen to encourage overseas Chinese talents and professionals to return to the country. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has initiated a number of policies to attract international highly-skilled talents and enhance the country’s competitiveness, and some Chinese policies have started attracting foreign talents, who are coming to the country to work, and even to stay. Since Chinese policies, mechanisms, and administration efforts to attract and retain skilled domestic or overseas talents are helping to reshape China’s economy and are significantly affecting the cooperation on migration and talent mobility, these aspects, in addition to being of scholarly and research interest, hold considerable commercial potential.

● Links：

https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811362552#aboutBook

Other CCG News: