M. Butterfly 2.0: The Evolution of EU-China Relations

Part 1

About the Event

Theresa Fallon traces the ups and downs of European Union-China relations over recent decades. On the EU side, attitudes have evolved from early enthusiasm to help China join the international community to disillusionment and protectionism in the face of China's growing economic influence. Most recently, the EU has taken a “fence-sitting approach” as the United States and China square off. But that may not be sustainable. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, at the Munich Security Conference in February, U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo called on Europe to choose a side. Since then, Beijing’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy and attempts to divide Europe have left a bitter taste in Brussels. Post Covid-19, will there be a conscious uncoupling between the EU and China, or will the EU opt for closer cooperation with Beijing and 5G from Chinese telecoms firm Huawei?

Part 2

About the Speaker

Theresa Fallon is the founder and director of the Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies (CREAS) in Brussels. She is concurrently a member of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, a nonresident senior fellow of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, adjunct professor at George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and a member of the CEPS Task Force on AI and Cybersecurity.

Theresa’s current research is on EU-Asia relations, great power competition, maritime security, global governance, and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. She has testified on numerous occasions to the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs and Subcommittee on Security and Defence, and has been featured in international media including ABC (Australia), Al Jazeera, Agence France Presse, BBC, CBC (Canada), CNN, Deutsche Welle, Financial Times, Science Magazine, Japan Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Washington Post and New York Times.