Social Constructivist Perspectives on China-Eu Relations

Studies of China-European Union (EU) relations tend to privilege interestfocused explanations.1 In such accounts, China’s main goals in its relations with Europe are usually presented as material—the pursuit of increased trade and investments intended to boost China’s economy. Sometimes, they are also presented as status seeking, as China viewing the EU as a potential great power alternative to US hegemony. Moreover, interaction with great powers—the United States, Russia, and the EU—is believed to confer on China the status of a great power.