Thread by @MaxRogerTaylor

The EU’s neglect of its values with China is not restricted to the flawed #CAI, but systemic in EU-China diplomacy. My new article in the Asia Europe Journal reveals that values are rarely incorporated into EU-China dialogues by EU officials. 1/18 link.springer.com/article/10.100…

Through Article 21 of the Lisbon Treaty, EU officials have a constitutional obligation to share the EU’s values. They should be undertaking active & focused actions to systemically promote or ‘mainstream’ the EU’s values in all dialogues with third countries like China. 2/18

Conflicting with the EU’s constitutional standards, analysis of extensive interviews with @EU_EEAS and @EU_Commission officials implementing EU-China diplomatic dialogues, revealed that the promotion of EU values was overwhelmingly absent from these 60+ annual meetings. 3/18

Careful analysis of @EU_EEAS & @EU_Commission officials’ accounts revealed that the lack of value mainstreaming in EU-China dialogues derived from their internal & external perceptions (or discourses), which informed a culture of complacency & self-censorship. 4/18

@EU_EEAS & @EU_Commission officials often displayed multiple of the following perceptions (85% more than one & 50% three or more), highlighting how, in the context of EU values, complacency & self-censorship in the EU’s diplomacy with China is both nuanced & entrenched… 5/18

48% of EU officials suggested that promoting EU values was ‘implicit’ to their dialogues & thus requiring no further action. They justified this on the basis that i) policies in their sector were based on these principles and ii) that they personally believed in EU values.6/18

Many - 58% - of @EU_EEAS diplomats & @EU_Commission officials also considered promoting EU values simply irrelevant to their EU-China dialogues & instead the exclusive responsibility of specific dialogues (particularly the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue). 7/18

The most prominent justification for avoiding the promotion of EU values in their meetings - shared by 63% of EU officials - related to a fear of upsetting Chinese diplomats. Officials described how they instead focused on issues narrowly relating to their policy sector. 8/18

Some - 18% - of @EU_EEAS and @EU_Commission officials also felt that value mainstreaming in meetings with China was ‘pointless’. Opaque & low-ranking Chinese counterparts were considered unable to credibly impact Chinese policies relating to EU values. 9/18

Lastly, capturing a lack of reflectivity, 53% of officials shared a view that ‘China is not listening to the EU and it should be’. In the rare instances where EU values were being promoted, notably via the human rights dialogue, it informed ineffective & didactic approaches.10/18

For @EU_EEAS and @EU_Commission officials impl. other EU-China dialogues, sharing a view that ‘China is not listening to the EU and it should be’ appeared to reaffirm self-censorship & perception that value mainstreaming can only be conflictual with China & to be avoided. 11/18

A rare public window into this systemic EU complacency & self-censorship with China was displayed in Apr/May 2020, when, in response to Chinese pressure, EEAS alleg. watered down details on Chinese disinformation in a report & self-censored an op-ed.12/18 theconversation.com/china-eu-relat…

Failure by EU to systematically
promote its values threatens their cont. universality.
An increasingly confident Chinese Party-State is normalising its interpretation of universal values, incl. through its unhindered cessation of HK’s freedoms and genocide in Xinjiang. 13/18

In EU-China dialogues, upholding EU values necessitates the est. of formal institutional mechanisms clarifying that all EU officials have a responsibility to promote EU values & devising strategies to ensure that such activities take place effectively & reflectively. 14/18

Upholding the EU's values also req. meaningful high-level action with China, incl. sanctions under the new EU global human rights sanctions regime. Toothless statements expressing “grave concern” on deteriorating conditions in HK and Xinjiang disgrace the European project. 15/18

Additionally, as recently highlighted by more than 100 China experts & activists, if EU ratifies the #CAI, which lacks suff. provisions to uphold EU values, it will de-facto legitimise abuses in HK & Xinjiang for sake of a flawed trade agreement.16/18 spiegel.de/international/…

Ultimately, complacency & self-censorship in the EU’s engagement with China amounts to an act of self-harm. It is inadvertently contributing to the universality of the Chinese Party-State’s values, as opposed to its own @JosepBorrell, @VonderLeyen @Charlesmichel. 17/18

Moreover, instead of sleepwalking towards a Chinese-led world order, conflicting with EU values & interests, the EU should be actively working with fellow democracies to uphold the rules-based intl. system & the fundamental values that underpin it @VonderLeyen @Charlesmichel./END