Abstract
The chapter explores how European states have developed a ‘post-modern’ perspective on military security that has been embedded in the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). This ‘post-modern’ approach to security is contrasted with the tendency of Chinese elites to cast ‘national security’ as a zero-sum game, viewed through the prism of rivalry with the United States and Japan and perceived US-led attempts to limit China’s strategic space in its own backyard. It argues that these divergent starting points do not preclude the development of a genuine strategic partnership. On the contrary, because the EU and China do not pose security threats to each other, there is much room for them to play complementary roles in international security operations (such as cooperation in UN peacekeeping, anti-piracy and disaster relief operations), in non-proliferation efforts, and in building regional trust.
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Kirchner, E., Song, X. (2021). EU–China Security Relations. In: Christiansen, T., Kirchner, E., Tan, S.S. (eds) The European Union’s Security Relations with Asian Partners. The European Union in International Affairs. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69966-6_16
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