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Fabio Massimo Parenti, Shi Chen: EU-China Relations in the Framework of the BRI a Critical
Analysis of EU Regulations on Trade and Investments

Keywords: EU-China relations, BRI, TDI, MES, antidumping, anti-subsidizing

JEL Classification: H70, K20, L41

1. STRATEGIC SCENARIO OF CHINA-EU TRADE RELATIONS
Europe and China are demonstrating to be mutually interested in boosting economic
development through trade and investments. Forty-three years of diplomatic
relations, 15 years of strategic partnership and at least 20 years of speeding up trade
relations are a good background to furtherly strengthening these economic linkages.
Namely, we can see both sides involved in developing complementary strategies, in
spite of the existing divergences still in place in many fields. We refer to the
definition of a “market economy” – which does not exist in the accession protocol of
the WTO - now translated in an equally vague concept of “market distortions” and to
the “human rights” issue – the latter was re-emphasized into the new European
strategy on China (European Parliament and The Council, 2016).

1.1. THE ORIGIN OF THE BRI AND ITS CONCRETENESS
The current economic debate on China in Europe is on the Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI) promoted by China. It could be criticised as an expansion of the recent
explosion of China’s national power. However, the willingness of acquiring a more
important role in global trade and the value chain could be tracked back to around 20
years ago. “Going global” strategy, devoted to SOEs and private firm’s
internationalization since the end of 1990s and, more recently, the “13th Five Year
Plan” (2016-2020) are intertwined strategies (confirmed in the CCP last Congress
documents) aimed at improving living conditions and promoting development with
the rest of the world. Internationally, the BRI and its current implementation is the
main manifestation of the China’s successes obtained until now, representing also a
huge opportunity for the EU member states.

The Chinese strategies of the last 20 years have created the conditions for the BRI to
be a realistic and attractive project. As said, we refer to the “go west” and “go abroad
strategy”. The first was deployed from the late nineties to today, favouring the
development of internal China and boosting national interconnection and with
neighbouring countries; while the second, from 2000 to today, has guaranteed
support for Chinese investments abroad, operated by private national and state
champions. The BRwis therefore a consequence of the successes obtained in the past
years at domestic level and many investments, which we could define today related
to the BRI, actually took place before its official launch in 2013 (e.g., think about the
Chongqing-Duisburg railway or Piraeus port). With the BRI, President Xi Jinping

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