Category: News

Second edition of the Europe-China Table organized on ‘European export controls and de-risking from China: the Dutch experience with semiconductors’

Clingendael Institute hosted the second Europe-China Table in the ReConnect China project on 24 April 2024

The Clingendael Institute hosted an invitation-only, online Europe-China Table on 24 April 2024 to discuss European export controls and de-risking from China, specifically in the context of the Dutch experience with semiconductors. This event was organized as part of the EU Horizon Europe-funded project ReConnect China: Upgrading Independent Knowledge on Contemporary China in Europe.

The Netherlands is at the forefront of derisking the economic relationship with China. Dutch export control policy became especially prominent for the issue of semiconductors. At the same time, the Netherlands seeks to continue economic cooperation with China, as demonstrated by Prime Minister Rutte and Minister van Leeuwen’s recent visit to China. How to balance these issues in the European relationship with China? What lessons can the EU and its Member States learn from each other, and how can we jointly enhance economic security? Where are the red lines?

These questions were discussed with the discussants Erik de Feijter, Head of the China Unit at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vincent Roza, Coordinator of Economic Resilience and Security at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Vera Kranenburg, Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute. The roundtable was moderated by dr. Raoul Bunskoek, leader of the Clingendael China Centre. The discussion was held under the Chatham House Rule.

Program

10:00 – 10:05 Introduction

  • Moderator: dr. Raoul Bunskoek, Leader Clingendael China Centre, The Clingendael Institute
10:05 – 10:35 Keynote speakers

  • Erik de Feijter, Head of China Unit, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Vincent Roza, Coordinator Economic Resilience and Security, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Vera Kranenburg, Research Fellow, The Clingendael Institute
10:35 – 11:30 Roundtable discussion

  • Moderator: Dr.  Raoul Bunskoek, Leader Clingendael China Centre, The Clingendael Institute

 

 

ReConnect China Policy Brief 10: Rethinking China’s COVID-19 Aid Diplomacy in Europe

This policy brief re-examines China’s COVID-19 aid diplomacy in Europe during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, focusing on the scope of donation and associated disinformation. China’s aid diplomacy in Europe was widely seen as an attempt to demonstrate China’s global pandemic response capacity while obscuring the CCP’s early missteps during the outbreak. This brief uses a novel dataset to provide fresh insights and important distinctions into the underlying motivations behind China’s aid efforts. Along the EU’s strategic autonomy agenda, this brief provides key policy recommendations to improve the EU’s pandemic preparedness, and to upgrade its role in shaping global health governance by urging the EU to secure a pandemic treaty and diversifying supply chains to move beyond the current globalism-statism divide.

Policy Recommendations:

  • Strengthen the EU’s capacity to manage global health risks through more active cooperation with non-EU partners via the EU’s Global Health Strategy and Global Gateway.
  • Develop a more comprehensive EU-wide strategy to counter disinformation narratives amplified by the CCP’s growing media apparatus,  by investing more in the EU’s media literacy.
  • Bolster the pandemic preparedness and resilience of the EU’s emergency response capabilities by diversifying and upgrading supply chains.

Stay tuned with us by reading more: ReConnect China-Policy Brief 10-Rethinking China’s COVID-19 Aid Diplomacy

The ReConnect China Youtube account is live with first MOOC videos

You can find the ReConnect China project now also on Youtube!

https://www.youtube.com/@ReConnectChina

On our Youtube channel we are publishing all single lectures from the project’s Massive Open Online Courses on China. The first MOOCs went online in January and February 2024, as you can read from this recent news.

Until today, three different lectures and the official promotional video have been published. And of course you can still join our first two open MOOCs in case you would like to immerse yourself in the full content we prepared for you!

Introduction to Chinese Politics and Society: Course period in 2024: January 15 – May 12, Registration opens on January 15, 2024.
MOOC_Introduction to Chinese Politics and Society 2024

Introduction to EU-China relations: Course period in 2024: February 12 – June 16, Registration opens on February 12, 2024
MOOC_Introduction to EU-China Relations 2024

ReConnect China Policy Brief 9: Geopolitical Narratives Are Counterproductive

This policy brief maps the origins, shortcomings, and potential implications of a geopolitical reading of the Global Gateway vis-à-vis the Belt and Road Initiative. Despite the obvious geopolitical implications of such initiatives, it is argued that framing Global Gateway in a reactive and competitive geopolitical narrative could reduce its appeal to stakeholders in the Global South and strain its relationships with China. Therefore, it is proposed to focus Global Gateway narratives on a proactive and positive agenda aligned with the national priorities of the partner countries and globally accepted goals such as those included in the 2030 Agenda.

Policy recommendations:

  • Avoid a reactive and competitive geopolitical framing of the Global Gateway.
  • Emphasise a proactive and positive agenda in the narratives of the Global Gateway putting the focus on cooperation with partners along the Global South and Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Increase ownership and the sense of ownership among partners from the Global South.

Stay tuned with us by reading more: ReConnect China Policy Brief 9_Geopolitical Narratives Are Counterproductive

Prof. Christian Göbel from ReConnect China delivers workshop on digital methods in Asian Studies

Prof. Christian Göbel (University of Vienna) who leads the ReConnect China work on China’s domestic governance (WP3) will take part in a workshop on digital methods in Asian Studies in March.

The workshop is organised by the Graduate School in Asian Studies at Lund University from March 20-21.

Christian, one of three senior experts contributing to this workshop, will present about his work in ReConnect China, inlcuding the development of a database to trace political developments across China and which new digital sources of information he and his team are using to gain, analyse and then feed data into it.

Together, the senior experts will address not only the practicalities of digital research, but also the broader questions of why we use digital sources and methods, and what, ultimately, they can tell us. The workshop will delve into three areas related to digital methods:

  • Digital technologies and tools for research
  • Digital spaces as research sites
  • Best practice for digital methods.

There will also be sessions where participating PhD students can present the digital aspects of their work and receive feedback on how they might best use digital methods.

Applications are still open to PhD students working on East and South-East Asia, with a deadline of 20 February.

Please check all information at Lund university website.

(Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash.com)

The first ReConnect China online courses (MOOCs) start in January and February 2024!

We are happy to announce the first dates for the ReConnect China online courses

One of the project’s main objectives is to broadly inform society, and in particular persons in education (pupils and students), about China. In this vein, the project takes different vantage points aimed at understanding the country better and translates them into thematically unique online courses. The ReConnect China Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are free of charge, offer certification after successful completion and are developed by leading European institutions of Chinese studies as part of the ReConnect China consortium.

(Image from Samantha Borges on Unsplash)

 

For the first two MOOCs the course periods in 2024 have now been scheduled

Two more MOOCs are planned for release in autumn 2024, final course dates tbc:

  • Introduction to Chinese Economy, forthcoming in autumn 2024
  • Introduction to Chinese Popular Culture, forthcoming in autumn 2024

 

You can find all courses on the digicampus.fi website

On the DigiCampus platform, you can find information about the courses by clicking the “i” icon at the end of the names of the courses. To register to a course, please click the name of the course and start with “Create new account” if you don’t have a DigiCampus user account yet. After that you can sign in to the course with your university’s ID or by manual enrollment. Note that registration opens on the same day as the course starts.

 

ReConnect China wishes you a rewarding learning path!

Who is behind the development of the ReConnect China online course and whom to contact for questions?

The development of the courses is funded by the Horizon Europe project “ReConnect China” and executed by the Centre for East Asian Studies (CEAS) of the University of Turku, Finland. Dr Outi Luova, vice director of CEAS, is in charge of the course execution in general. The planning of each course is overseen by an own academic board, specifically composed of academic experts for the relevant topic. The course materials are produced in collaboration with leading European institutions of Chinese studies. For more information, please contact Dr Outi Luova at outi.luova@utu.fi

Official press release on the start of ReConnect China MOOCs

ReConnect China Press Release MOOCs

 

ReConnect China marks one-year milestone and hosts public roundtable in Vienna

ReConnect China, a Horizon Europe funded project aiming to generate independent knowledge for a resilient future with China for Europe and its citizens, marked its one-year milestone hosting a momentous second consortium meeting and a public round table in Vienna from November 16-17.

Building on the momentum generated since its kick-off meeting in Ghent in November 2022, representatives from ReConnect China’s 15 partner institutions from across Europe converged in Vienna for two days. The consortium meeting provided a platform for reflection on the project’s achievements in its inaugural year and facilitated strategic planning for the future. Work package leaders together with consortium partners delved into the progress made since the project’s inception, highlighting key accomplishments and addressing the challenges that have been met. The collaborative spirit was palpable as partners engaged in discussions to set a cohesive path forward, aligning their efforts to enhance the project’s impact in the coming year.

The ReConnect China public roundtable on November 17

The public round table (organised in a hybrid format), a focal point of the Vienna meetings, gave stage to ReConnect China’s research conducted and the results generated over the first year. The experts leading these activities within the project delivered presentations covering the four research priorities of ReConnect China. Prof. Bart Dessein, in his capacity as project coordinator, opened the discussion with some introductory words. Having been stimulated by the inputs of experts, several questions were addressed to the speakers by the – predominantly – Austrian audience (invitations for this roundtable focussed on Austrian stakeholders; participants came from institutions like Austrian Council for Research, Science, Innovation and Technology Development, Austrian Economic Chamber, Vienna Institute for Intl. Economic Studies, Austrian Institute for Intl. Affairs, University of Vienna, Austrian Research Promotion Agency, and the Federal Chancellery of Austria).

Below the presentation titles of the roundtable:

  • “What does ReConnect China do?” Presented by Prof. Bart Dessein, Scientific Coordinator of ReConnect China, Ghent University. Prof. Dessein provided an engaging introduction to the project, unveiling its core objectives and presenting significant research outcomes from the first year.
  • “Europe’s Research Cooperation with China – Risks and Opportunities” Presented by Philipp Brugner, Researcher, Senior Project Manager, ZSI. Philipp Brugner explored the risks and opportunities associated with Europe’s research collaboration with China.
  • “The Economy of China: The Rise of the Electric Car Industry” Presented by Miguel Otero, Senior Analyst, Elcano Institute, ES. Miguel Otero delved into the economic landscape of China, specifically focusing on the burgeoning electric car industry.
  • “China’s Domestic Politics – Building a Database for Better Understanding Domestic Political Developments” Presented by Prof. Christian Göbel, University of Vienna. Prof. Göbel shared insights into the development of a comprehensive database aimed at enhancing the understanding of China’s domestic political landscape.
  • “China’s Foreign Policy Against the Background of the EU Strategy De-Risking” Presented by Astrid Pepermans, Senior Research Fellow, and Victor De Decker, Research Fellow, Egmont Institut, BE. Astrid Pepermans and Victor De Decker elucidated China’s foreign policy within the context of the EU’s De-Risking strategy.
  • ReConnect China Roundtable_final agenda

The public round table served as a platform for knowledge sharing and facilitated a meaningful dialogue on the complexities of EU-China relations.

For more information about ReConnect China and its updates, please also follow us on Twitter, WeChat and Weibo.

Presentation of the EU-China STI analysis for the meeting of the European Network for Academic and Scientific Exchange with China

On November 10, 2023, Philipp Brugner from ZSI, ReConnect China task leader on EU-China science, technology and innovation analysis, took part in the ENASEC – European Network for Academic and Scientific Exchange with China online meeting to present the main outcomes of the recently finished analysis in the context of the ReConnect China project.

About ENASEC: The European Network for Academic and Scientific Exchange with China (ENASEC) is a sub-project of ENTRANCE (Expertise & Transfer Network on China & Europe). It is intended to serve the regular exchange between German and European universities and research institutions on cooperations with China. The experiences, strategies and framework conditions for cooperations with China, which differ from country to country, represent a special enrichment, which can also give impulses for the own practice. Potentially, however, the project will also address much more concrete questions, such as the extent to which heterogeneous China strategies can also influence intra-European cooperation and what possibilities exist to use the common weight as a bargaining chip vis-à-vis Chinese partners. The experience gained in shaping relations with China is potentially transferable to the management of academic and scientific collaborations with countries that come with specific legal, ethical, or political challenges.

ReConnect China Policy Briefs no.2 and 3 draw policy recommendations on EU-China STI cooperation in the big data-related scientific fields

Based on the comprehensive report on EU-China STI cooperation in the big data-related scientific fields (artificial intelligence, big data and machine learning), two more policy briefs were published by the project. We used the report’s key results and aimed at embedding them in the overall policy discourse and legislative framework pertaining to science and technology cooperation between the EU and China. As a corollary, current developments in STI policy-making both on the EU’s and China’s side are explained, with a particular focus on the question how both actors aim to govern the future proliferation and protection of data stemming from research on AI, BD and ML from a legal viewpoint. The policy briefs conclude with a list of policy recommendations addressed both to the EU and the Member States level. While any risks or unfavourable conditions in research cooperation with China that could potentially conflict the EU’s interests and values must definitely be taken into account, we recommend European R&I actors to take case-by-case decisions on concrete research cooperation offers from their Chinese counterparts that are grounded in information provided by specific risk assessment and due diligence services.

Reconnect China Policy Brief 2: Science, Technology and Innovation Co-Operation Areas (and non-Areas) in the Big Data-related scientific fields

ReConnect China Policy Brief 2_Science, Technology and Innovation Co-operation Areas (and Non-areas) in the Big Data-related Scientific Fields

Reconnect China Policy Brief 3: Current Patterns, Drivers, barriers, challenges and future cooperation options in the big data-related scientific fields

ReConnect China Policy Brief 3_Current patterns, drivers, barriers, challenges and future cooperation options in the big data-related scientific field

Report on EU-China cooperation in science, technology and innovation published

At the beginning of September, ZSI finished its work on the report on EU-China cooperation in STI. The report is part of ReConnect China’s WP1 on science and technology and features a co-publication and co-patent analysis aimed at assessing the volume of cooperation between European and Chinese R&I actors. Due to their high relevance as emerging technologies and being of specific interest both to the EU and China, the study’s focus has been limited to the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Big Data. Regarding the specific list of countries involved in this analysis, we defined “European countries” as the EU’s 27 Member States plus associated countries to Horizon Europe, namely the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland (= EU27/AC). In spite of the fact that only the UK has formally associated to Horizon Europe at the time of finalising this report, we decided to include Norway and Switzerland as well, given their strong role in the whole European R&I system. For both the co-publication and the co-patent analysis we worked with the latest data available from Web of Science from the PATSTAT database respectively (in both cases the period from 2011 to 2022).

Our analysis caters to the needs of a growing European demand to understand China’s involvement in science, technology and innovation cooperation with European actors better. At the same time, the empirical findings discussed in this report may be conducive to national and European R&I policy makers alike, given the on-going debate on how to address research cooperation with China in the future in the light of mounting concerns about security risks, the disregard for research integrity and the misuse of civilian research for military purposes (dual use).

ReConnect China_D1.1_Report on the results of research cluster on EU-China research cooperation_co-patent,co-publication analysis