China-EU Ambassadors' Forum and Release of the Bluebook of Europe 2011-2012

On May 7, 2012, the Institute of European Studies (IES), CASS, along with the Chinese Association for European Studies and Social Sciences Academic Press (China), held the annual Ambassadors’Forum and Release of the Blue Book of Europe 2011-2012. Diplomats from many European embassies, Chinese scholars from IES and other academic organizations in Beijing, journalists, graduate students, etc, attended the gathering.

IES Director Zhou Hong chaired the conference.  She offered a brief description of the Blue Book, a yearly development report that has been published for consecutive 16 years.

Each year the Blue Book, nicknamed after the blue color of the development report, chooses a theme topic. For this book (2011-2012) European debt crisis and economic governance was the focus.

EU Ambassador to China Mr. Markus Ederer made a key-note speech at the conference.  He said that, despite the European debt crisis, the EU continues to be the largest economic entity and also the largest market in the world.  He is confident that the debt crisis will overcome when all necessary measures are undertaken.

Ederer hoped that the EU and China will strengthen their ties in the current situation though the EU must deal with the debt crisis by itself. 

The EU ambassador also explains the EU’s policies towards Libya.

Mei Zhaolong, Chinese former Ambassador to Germany, commented on Ambassador Ederer’s presentation.  Mei believed that the year 2011 witnessed smooth development of the bilateral relations between China the Europe, though trade was affected by the debt crisis in Europe. Several high-level exchanges of visits took place in 2011, leading to a better understanding of each other. Many Europeans have now recognized that improvement of the China-EU relations is in the interest of both sides.

Ambassador Mei also pointed out the fact that trade frictions continued to be a problem in 2011 though both sides have made efforts to deal with the issue. He predicted that the future of China’s relations with the EU will proceed at a more rapid pace and the development of the overall strategic partnership will create more win-win opportunities.

At the Q&A session, one Chinese scholar commented that it seemed the EU had failed to make an effective strategy to resolve the problems during post-Gaddafi era, saying that political and economic stability in Libya has apparently not been realized.