EU-China Trade Partnership: Strategic Importance of Central and Eastern European Members

Abstract

Four decades have passed since the European Union and People’s Republic of China haveestablished bilateral trade relationships. The EU-China relations context has changeddramatically in recent years. China's interest in Europe is expanding to new areas, bothgeographically (Central and Eastern Europe and Southern Europe) and in terms of content (e.g. the increase of Chinese investment in Europe). This paper aims to analyze trade flows betweenChina and the EU member states in Central and Eastern Europe in the framework of the EU-Chinatrade partnership and how these countries can be considered a strategic partner in EU-Chinatrade relations.

Keywords

• EU-China trade partnership
• partner
• CEE- China trade