China’s relations over the past 20 years to the present

CHEN Justine, LIN Jacques, ZHENG Elodie, ZHOU Eric

Sujet : China’s relations over the past 20 years to the present

INTRODUCTION 

A country with more than 5000 years of history from a Chinese perspective or 3200 years from a western perspective, China emerged as one of the world’s first civilizations. It has been a great power for almost 20 centuries (from the 1st century to the 19th century). 

We saw that through Chinese history they developed a lot of cutting-edge technology such as papermaking, compass, gunpowder and so on.

Although there has been a century of humiliation (also known as the hundred years of national humiliation), China has been able to stand up and is today being considered as a re-emerging power with many partner countries. 

So, we are going to ask ourselves what are the relations and exchanges between China and other countries? 

PLAN : 

1. Relationship with US (cultural, military and economic exchanges)

1. Economic : 

• Many big brands boycotted (blacklisted Chinese and Russian firms,
  ex: Huawei on September 15th, 2020)

• Relationship today with Biden and Xi Jinping = in the short term
  the relationship will not change and will remain on the same line
  as with Trump but in the long term perhaps collaborations like
  the fight against global warming or the distribution of vaccines with COVID19

• But there is always economic competition between China and US
• China is the US largest foreign creditor

1. Military : 

• Expansion of the armed forces in China → a great threat to the US
• Reinforced presence of American armed forces in Asia (hard and soft power) 

1. Scientific :

• Long history of cooperation despite the tension in recent years 
• Sino-American are for both countries their biggest collaborative partners in the scientific research 
• On Health (AIDS and more), Climate Change, new technologies and more

2) Relations between Europe and China (Germany, France, UK)
A) Sino-German relations

1. Cooperation in cultural 

Agreement on greater art, cultural and educational cooperation (especially to encourage direct collaboration with museums, libraries and theatres)

1. Economic :

• The first trade agreement signed in 1979
• Germany is China’s biggest trading partner and technology exporter in Europe
• German exports to China tripled, same as Chinese imports to Germany tripled. 

1. Scientific: 

• Germany is the second top collaborators of China in the E.U and third in the world, with the main focus being natural sciences, life sciences, engineering sciences and management sciences.
  → Big importance of economic exchanges in the German economy

1. Technological collaborations

• Made in China 2025 targets Germany as a source of technology (especially in emerging fields such as 6G and financial technology)
• Exchanges on the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), brought by advances in information technology (IT) = Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
• Long-term positioning (with a comprehensive and independent development and ‘‘win-win cooperation’’
• Germany: Huawei relocated its European headquarters from the UK to Germany. (Huawei and Deutsche Telekom signed an agreement - the Open Telekom Cloud in 2016 and investment from Huawei to the German research and development)
• China: Germans have opened industrial parks in China. (about 5,000 German companies established in China)

B) Sino-franco relations 

         Military: 

• Exchange, and cooperation with their two armies are happening frequently with an annual convention since 2003 

Scientific: 

• France is the third top collaborator in the scientific exchange field with China with the main focus being on civil nuclear, health, aerospatial. 
• Cooperation with lots of institutions CNRS, le CEA, l'INSERM, l'INRA, l'INRIA and the Academy of Sciences
• Decree n° 79-555 of June 26, 1979 publishing the scientific and technical agreement between the Government of the French Republic and the Government of the People's Republic of China, signed in Beijing on January 21,1978
• Economic: 

• China is the 7th buyer and 2nd supplier from France. The deficit of sino-french is almost 90% of the french commercial deficit without including energy, and military.
• signing of a framework agreement on June 25 in Beijing 

• 43 years of Franco-Chinese collaboration in 2021 (1978)

C) Sino-British relations 

Military: 

• China & Britain = Strategic partnership (pledged closer military cooperation, discussion on military in Beijing in 2010)

Scientific:

• the UK is the second top collaborator of China in the world and the first in the E.U.

• Economic: 

• Bilateral trade agreement after the Brexit
  (UK is one of the founder of members of the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank AIIB), and Theresa May calls it ‘‘Golden Era of Sino-British relations’’ 

3) Sino-Russian relations
A) Military relations/cooperation 
2001 signing of friendship and cooperation treaty (foundation of SCO, Shanghai Cooperation Organization) → counter American influence 

B) Economic relations, energy relations
Trade in national currencies (mutual perception) for bilateral trade instead of US dollar → protection for domestic economy during financial crisis
China and Russia have a special relationship as they are still ‘communist’ countries.

also, their long history of helping each other, mostly against the US.

Long-term relationships?

4) China-African relations 

(cultural exchanges: Confucius Institutes & economic exchange + scientific (contribution of human resources > knowledge): economic engagement, investment on infrastructure projects), China-Africa Cooperation (a rising number of African entrepreneurs moving to China) 

 and the other way around > Chinese teaches Africans way to increase work efficiency 

-> Reference to Djibouti -> first military base in Africa 

5) Sino-Middle East relations 

1. The presence of China in the Middle East

→ Economic reason (oil, energy) → the world’s largest importer of oil, with nearly half of its supply coming from the Middle East

→ New silk road: BRI (belt and road initiative)

→ Partner agreement with 15 countries in the Middle East

→ Participates in counter-piracy and maritime security missions 

1. US dominance in the Middle East (ME)

→ BRI → changes the role of China 

→ afraid of the evolution of China

→ US = major actor of the Middle East

→ China is afraid of Washington → because Washington would put pressure to stop the flow of oil from ME to China → central role of the US on the shipping lanes

→ Sino-American trade war on the territory

1. China changes his approach to the Middle East

China changes his approach because of:

• The interest of China in MENA
• The trades links
• The diplomatic interest

6) Asia-Pacific: RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership)

RCEP

• One of the most important trade agreements in the world between 10 Asean countries (Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei) et 5 ASEAN FTA partners: China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. (signed on November 15th, 2020) 

1.  Relations with Japan 

• There were many wars before, especially during the 2nd World War.
• Thanks to the Japanese Prime Minister’s visit to China in November 2018, there has been a possibility to move from competition to collaboration.
  (China will become Japan's 1st partner) 

CONCLUSION:

• a brief sum up: China has always been the partner country of many countries. However, China has different relations with each country such as with Germany, France, Russian, Japan, African countries, ...

Opening: Future role of China in the word? Future of economic exchanges more towards an Asian capitalism model?

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