50th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic relations

In May 2025 the European Union and China celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-EU diplomatic relations. In 1975, the first engagement at political level between China and the European Community, which was later to become the European Union, took place. During the China visit by Sir Christopher Soames, at that time the Commission Vice-President, on 6 May 1975 he agreed with Premier Zhou Enlai to establish diplomatic relations between the European Community and the People’s Republic of China.

At the time, both regions were dealing with profound political and economic transformations. For China, this marked an early step in a journey of reform and opening-up, while Europe was laying the foundations for deeper integration. The subsequent decades witnessed growing engagement across multiple sectors. China’s economic reforms and increasing integration into the global system in the 1980s and 1990s provided fertile ground for expanding ties. The 2003 EU-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership formalized this relationship, setting a clear framework for cooperation in trade, technology, climate action, and people-to-people exchanges.

Economic ties between the EU and China

China is the EU’s second largest trading partner for goods after the United States, with bilateral trade reaching €739 billion in 2023. This represents a decline of 14% compared to 2022. China is the EU’s third-largest partner for exports and the biggest for imports. The EU-China trade balance has been persistently in favour of China. In 2023, the EU deficit amounted to €292 billion. EU exports to China amounted to €223.6 billion, whereas EU imports from China amounted to €515.9 billion, indicating year-on-year decreases of 3.1% and 18% respectively.

The EU’s current approach emphasizes the importance of ‘de-risking’ its economic exposure while still engaging constructively. This balanced strategy reflects both economic pragmatism and a desire to build more sustainable and resilient value chains. While the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI), concluded in principle in 2020, has not yet been ratified, both sides continue to explore avenues for strengthening economic dialogue, particularly in high-growth areas such as clean energy, digital transformation, and innovation.

Diplomatic engagement and people-to-people exchanges

Diplomatic relations between the EU and China are multifaceted and continue to adapt to a changing global landscape. Both parties have expressed a mutual interest in maintaining open channels of communication and working together to address global challenges. Climate change, for example, remains a strong area of collaboration, with ongoing initiatives focused on carbon neutrality, renewable energy, and sustainable urban development. Science and technology are another growing domain of interest. EU-China joint research projects, academic exchanges, and innovation platforms have yielded tangible results in fields like clean tech, AI, and digital connectivity.

Beyond economics and diplomacy, one of the most enduring aspects of the EU-China relationship is the expanding network of people-to-people connections. Over the past five decades, educational exchanges have flourished through programs like Erasmus+ and various Chinese scholarship schemes, while university partnerships have supported collaborative research and dual-degree offerings.

Looking ahead

As the EU and China enter their sixth decade of diplomatic engagement, both face a rapidly changing global environment shaped by new technologies, sustainability imperatives, and shifting geopolitical dynamics. The relationship will likely be guided by a more balanced approach that blends openness with strategic caution, competition with cooperation, and innovation with responsibility.

Horsten International supports EU-China cooperation since its founding in 1996. If you are interested in reading more about this topic, you can check the following articles:

• Call for a more pragmatic European approach towards China
• The EU’s Economic Security Package
• It is high time for a more pragmatic European approach towards China