6: EU-China Relations in a Changing International Order

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on the conceptual frameworks, theoretical viewpoints, and strategic factors of EU-China relations as presented in the lecture.

ASML

A Dutch manufacturer and one of the only manufacturers of extreme ultraviolet lithography systems ($EUVs$) that reportedly halted hi-tech chip-making exports to China due to US pressure.

Extreme ultraviolet lithography systems (EUVs)

Highly advanced microchip machinery used in hi-tech manufacturing, specifically produced by firms like ASML.

Material Power (factors)

Forms of power based on tangible economic and physical assets such as the production of goods, steel, military capabilities, and physical infrastructure like 5G.

Ideational Power (factors)

Power derived from influence through ideas, culture, and norms, such as 'capitalism with Chinese characteristics' or soft power earned over time.

Imaginary China

The EU or Western discourse about China that involves an extrapolation of existing growth to project a future version of the country that does not yet exist.

Bipolarity (Tunsjø, Mearsheimer)

A configuration of international order argued by some realists to be returning, often characterized by the dominance of two great powers ($ ext{China}$ and the $\text{US}$).

Sinological Orientalism

A concept by Vukovich ($2013$) regarding Western knowledge production and discourse that shapes how the West perceives and 'manages' China.

Rare Earth Elements (REE)

Strategic materials critical for clean energy, consumer electronics, and defense; though a small part of overall trade, China dominates the supply that Europe depends on.

Lanthanum

A rare earth element strategically used for hybrid-car batteries and camera lenses.

Dysprosium

A rare earth element strategically used for lasers and nuclear-reactor control rods.

EU Trifecta Designation (2019)

The European Commission's definition of China as simultaneously a 'cooperation partner, an economic competitor, and a systemic rival.'

Pragmatic Conditional Engagement

An approach in the EU's strategy toward China characterized by being purposeful but contingent upon specific conditions.

Economic Cohesion

A domestic factor describing the degree of close relations between a state and its firms; high cohesion can allow external 'dividers' to gain a foothold in an industrial base.

Political Cohesion

The degree of ideological cohesion on foreign and security policy within a government; low cohesion makes a state more susceptible to external 'wedging'.

Wedging

A strategy where a 'divider' exploits fragmented political environments and uses economic rewards to persuade a target state's business community to lobby for policy changes.

Binding

An external strategy to influence a target state that is more effective when political cohesion is high, limiting the target state's susceptibility to fragmentation.

Power-based Logic

A more realist approach to EU-China relations focusing on relative gains, problematized cooperation, and China's increasing assertiveness.

Transformational Logic

A liberal or constructivist approach suggesting that shared norms and institutional dialogue can engender trust, reduce competition, and 'normalize' bilateral relations.

Striving for Achievement

A shift in Chinese foreign policy around $2010$, moving away from its previous strategy of 'keeping a low profile'.

EU-China Trade Balance (2023)

The recorded trade deficit for the EU with China, which amounted to $-291$\text{ EUR billion}.