Franco-German Seminar on European China Policy

The Franco-German seminar, jointly organized by Institut Montaigne and the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), took place on March 16 in Berlin at the French embassy.  A group of about 40 high-ranking officials, parliamentarians, ministry representatives, experts as well as representatives of the corporate sector met in person to exchanges views and ideas on how to increase European unity vis-à-vis China. This discussion built on the context of the French presidency of the Council of the EU and of the first months in office of Germany’s new coalition government.

Contemporary developments made the event even more timely: China's role in the Ukraine crisis and its broader geopolitical implications make the need for a new impetus for European China policy ever more evident. Recent events and their implications featured prominently in the discussions. We discussed a broad range of relevant policy areas, from trade and investment relations with China to the Indo-Pacific and the question of Chinese influence in Europe.  
 
The seminar  concluded with a roundtable discussion aimed at addressing the issue of a Franco-German impulse for a more coherent and efficient European China policy.

All discussions were confidential and by invitation only.