Europe and China. Strategic Partners or Rivals?

Abstract

This edited volume analyzes the changing nature of the relationship between China and Europe. This relationship has been subject to significant shifts and transformations, not least because of the enormity of China's social and economic development since 1978 and the political consequences this has brought about in international politics. The global financial crisis of 2008-09 and the subsequent sovereign debt emergency in Europe have also altered the nature of the interactions between the two regions. China has become a more assertive, confident, and active player on the global stage. Its economic development is now a major pillar of the global economy and its growth has been conducive for a fragile economic recovery to take place in Europe and beyond.