Keynote Speech by Geoffrey Harris at the Sub-session on International relations

 

Both Chinese and U.S. representatives in recent weeks can be seen as undertaking a kind of “rival charm offense”. Neither can be really satisfied with the outcome of their efforts. Because Europe likes to represent its own interest, and not be of subsidiary or indeed in a confrontation mood with any other country. The Foreign Minister of Germany summed things up very clearly: Europe will not allow themselves to become a political football in the great-power rivalry between the U.S., Russia and China. U.S. Secretary of State Pompeo made it clear in his speech at the Nixon Center that he rather wants Europe to take sides in what he seems to see is a new Cold War. Europe was totally divided during the U.S.-Soviet Cold War and, therefore, nobody in Europe has the slightest appetite even to talk about a new Cold War, let alone to re-run that particular historical nightmare. Most of the dead were in Europe in first World War and the second World War. Europe not only has a great interest in reducing international tensions, but the history of the EU is precisely one of the learning lessons of these earlier catastrophes. It remains in alliance with the U.S. but unlike the pre-1989 Cold War era, it does not see itself in a supportive role in a bipolar confrontation. Europe is ready to engage constructively with China but without abandoning either its own interests or its core beliefs.

 

If we look at China-Europe relations, both have a great interest in advancing multilateralism. It was an important initiative by France and Germany at the United Unions last year, 2019, a calling for an alliance for multilateralism. The whole idea of multilateral cooperation is something that Europe is very much committed to in our genes. Europe is fully committed to the Transatlantic Alliance and is ready to continue working with the U.S. if it wants to cooperate with the EU on security issues. China has always supported the process of European integration. It’s only in the Trump and Pompeo era that the impression has been given on that European integration is not a good idea, so it’s going to be more difficult to cooperate on some of these issues with our Transatlantic allies. You will never hear from European leaders the language of xenophobia or the politicization of the COVID-19 virus which was described provocatively as the “China Virus”. In a world of different values and interests, multilateralism and organized globalization require trust. That is what is missing nowadays and all concerned must act to reverse this tendency.

 

The EU High Representative Josep Borrell put it very clearly recently accepting that Europe is looking to adopt a more realistic approach in its relations with China. He has reiterated what has always been evident that China is a key economic partner, and it is also a “systemic rival that seeks to promote an alternative model of governance”. But he added, China and the EU are on the same side when it comes to the promotion of multilateralism. Europeans support effective multilateralism with the United Nations at the center. China, on the other hand, has a selective view of multilateralism, reflecting a different understanding of the international order. Europe rejects the U.S.-China blame game over the pandemic as firmly as it rejects the Trumpian “zero sum” transactional view of trade and international relations. If the world really did go down that path, we would, in my view, go from the potential of win-win multilateralism to the disaster of lose-lose confrontation. The pandemic is just the latest of many challenges for which all leading countries face together; growing inequality within and between countries is another issue where main economic power, including Europe and China and the U.S., must cooperate. The problem also includes the importance of developing countries and their place in the international system. Such problems are extremely complex and simplistic solutions do not exist.

 

Europe’s basic approach is fairly clear: first, urgent need to avoid global recession and unemployment; second, stick to its own universal values and it will criticize China and the U.S. on some of the issues that are mentioned above; third, China and the EU will remain rivals, but they need to cooperate in the modern international system; fourth, avoid East-West decoupling; fifth, looking at the rivalry of China and the U.S., the basic goal of European leadership is strategic autonomy. Although I’m not a representative of the British government, I deeply regret the decision to leave the EU which I think quite frankly proves some of the lessons that interdependence actually is a better way of enhancing national interest and strategical autonomy which the EU is striving for. Brexit is a lesson which somehow shows the disintegration of the EU, the inequality and financing problem.  

 

China can play its part in rebuilding trust in the current global situation. The German Presidency of the EU is very keen to enhance understanding with China. On September 14, EU leaders and President Xi are expected to have a video-conference that would partially serve to replace the currently postponed in-person EU27-China summit in Leipzig. The priority of the special summit is going to be on concluding the EU-China Investment Agreement by the end of this year. If this can be achieved, China and Europe will then be able to move forward on the basis of greater trust.