ChinaTalks lecture: US-Chinese Strategic Competition and the Consequences for Europe

Описание: Deteriorating US-Chinese relations engender decoupling tendencies, conventional and nuclear arms races, and paralyzed multilateral diplomacy with consequences for European security. Europe is facing an abandonment/entrapment dilemma with its US ally: if it does too little to accommodate US demands, NATO security guarantees are undermined. If it does too much, Europe risks becoming a target in US-Chinese conflicts. Europe is facing a deterrence/détente dilemma with China: if it moves too far in the direction of the total competition approach of the US, it will likely have serious repercussions for relations with Beijing, such as enhanced cyber warfare, decoupling of Chinese supply chains from Europe, and conflict-ridden diplomatic relations. If Europe pursues détente with China, pressures will increase for the region to develop autonomous solutions in the military, economic and technological sectors to be able to push back at Chinese economic, industrial and security practices which undermine European unity and freedom of action. This talk discusses the dilemmas which Europe face under US-China strategic competition and if these dilemmas engender more or less unity within the European Union.

This ChinaTalk lecture was held 3 March at the University of Copenhagen. Together with the Centre for Military Studies, University of Copenhagen, ThinkChina was pleased to host this lecture with Liselotte Odgaard, professor at the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies.