Responsive Securitization: How China’s Economic Statecraft Prompted Policy Change in the European Union

EU-China relations are increasingly defined by securitization. This paper examines how the logic of economic statecraft and securitization shapes the relationship between the European Union and China. It shows how China’s use of economic instruments to pursue national security goals has prompted a political and institutional response in the EU. The EU’s approach has shifted toward risk reduction, with greater focus on strategic dependencies and economic security. Using the concepts of securitization and economic statecraft, the paper argues that recent EU policy changes reflect a broader trend of mutual securitization in a relationship marked by interdependence and strategic rivalry.