2021 European Caucus: Europe and China - Balancing geopolitics, competition and innovation

The Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) and the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) presented the 2021 European Caucus on China "Europe and China - Balancing geopolitics, competition and innovation" on 3 November in Berlin.

For our annual flagship conference, we brought together a diverse group of high-level policymakers and experts from all over Europe to discuss challenges and opportunities with regard to their growing engagement with China.

The event began with a lively panel discussion on European China policy after the German elections, followed by smaller group debates on climate partnerships, subnational diplomacy, 5G security and the challenges in research and innovation cooperation.

The final plenary session allowed to go deeper into assessing how to get Europe ready for an era of breakneck economic and technological competition with China. The event was rounded off with three parallel seated dinners with inputs by high-ranking speakers.

We thank everyone for their active participation and inspiring discussions!