Analysing the EU's collective securitisation moves towards China

Area of Science:

• International Relations
• European Union Studies
• Security Studies

Background:

• Growing body of literature on European Union (EU) foreign policy dynamics concerning China.
• Increased scholarly attention to EU-China relations since the mid-2010s.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the collective securitisation of China within EU foreign policy.
• To identify the triggers and frames used in EU securitisation discourses towards China.
• To examine the coherence of EU member states' responses to these securitisation moves.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical framework: Collective securitisation.
• Analysis of EU foreign policy discourses and practices regarding China.
• Examination of policy frames including Asian regional security, economic security, political security, and cybersecurity.

Main Results:

• EU foreign policy exhibits increasing collective securitisation moves targeting China across multiple policy frames.
• Securitisation attempts are driven by long-term trends and specific events, fostering collective discourses and policy initiatives.
• Divergent responses among EU member states indicate a lack of coherent audience reception to securitisation claims.

Conclusions:

• EU's attempts to securitise China as an existential threat have not led to a unified stance among member states.
• Discrepancies in how member states perceive China as a threat impede the implementation of collective EU policy.
• The effectiveness of EU foreign policy towards China is challenged by internal divisions on threat perception.