Overview

The European Economic Community (EEC) formally started diplomatic relations with China in 1975. The bilateral relationship is governed by the 1985 EU-China Trade and Cooperation Agreement.1

In 2003, the EU and China agreed a strategic partnership. This is most clearly expressed in the 2006 document ‘EU-China: Closer Partners, Growing Responsibilities’,  which sets out a general framework within which the two can operate: `Europe needs to respond effectively to China’s renewed strength. To tackle the key challenges facing Europe today – including climate change, employment, migration, security – we need to leverage the potential of a dynamic relationship with China based on our values. We also have an interest in supporting China’s reform process. This means factoring the China dimension into the full range of EU policies, external and internal. It also means close coordination inside the EU to ensure an overall and coherent approach to relations with China'. 2

This document sets out the following key priority sectors between the EU and China:

  • Supporting China’s transition towards a more open and plural society
  • Sustainable development, in terms of energy, climate change, international development and sustainable economic growth
  • Trade and economic relations
  • Strengthening bilateral cooperation between the EU and China
  • International and regional cooperation

  • The EU-China Strategic Partnership is structured around three pillars:
    • Political Dialogue
    • Economic and Sectoral Dialogue
    • People-to-People Dialogue

1 Summary of Treaty
2 Communication From The Commission To The Council And The European Parliament


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