Professor Wang will deliver a presentation on the EU's Global Gateway Initiative, with a specific focus on its implications for the Belt and Road Initiative and Sino-EU relations.

Since 2020, the EU strategic autonomy（SA）has drawn increasing academic attention among  Chinese academia. This presentation investigates the views of Chinese scholars on the concept from the general strategic level to the policy level. As a strategic whole, SA is studied through its evolving concept, underlying motivations and dynamics, particularly on EU’s relations with major powers, its role in global governance, as well as SA’s implications for the European integration project. On the policy level, Chinese scholars especially examine the strategy from two perspectives: security（defense）and de-risking. The former is geopolitically-oriented, focusing more on military power, while the latter concentrates on diplomatic relations and supply chain issues.

Chinese scholars’ examination of the EU’s SA reveals a complex landscape of opportunities and challenges. While recognizing the influence of the United States and internal divisions within the EU, scholars advocate for a balanced approach that prioritizes cooperation while pursuing independent strategic goals. As the EU navigates geopolitical shifts and economic uncertainties, the pursuit of SA remains a central theme, with a complex interplay of global governance, security, and economic interests. By engaging in nuanced analysis and offering valuable perspectives, Chinese scholars contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamics shaping EU-China relations and the future of global order.

Zhanpeng Wang is Professor and the Associate Dean of School of English and International Studies (SEIS), vice dean of Academy of Country and Area Studies (CASA), as well as the Director of the British Studies Centre at Beijing Foreign Studies University（BFSU). His research focuses on the politics of the European Union, Irish studies, and British politics and international relations. He has authored and co-authored a dozen books and over 80 journal articles or book chapters. He is the author of Transnational Democracy and its Limits: A Study of the Constitutional and Lisbon Process of the European Union (2010); Evolving EU Trade Policy and its Impacts in the First Two Decades of the 21^st Century (2021). He is also the editor of Sino-Irish Relations: Cross-Cultural Perspectives (2011), and Annual Report on Development of the United Kingdom (2013, 2015-2023). He received Presidential Distinguished Service Award of Ireland in 2022 as the founding director of the Irish Studies Centre at BFSU.

The talk is organized by the Observatory of European Foreign Policy.