Qualitative interview study reveals Chinese elite concerns over territorial sovereignty and regional security regarding the EU Indo-Pacific strategy, highlighting strained bilateral ties.
Key Points
To examine how Chinese political, academic, and public elites perceive and respond to the European Union's Indo-Pacific strategy.
Conducted in-depth, one-on-one qualitative interviews with 23 Chinese elites from government, academia, and influential public domains (N=23).
Chinese elites recognized the EU as a major global power and valued bilateral relations, but viewed the Indo-Pacific strategy as a strategic irritant.
Participants expressed strong concerns regarding national territorial sovereignty (specifically cooperation involving Taiwan), global geopolitics, and regional security.
The release of the strategy negatively impacted EU–China diplomatic ties, increasing regional tension and political friction.