Lectures on EU-China relations on the occasion of the Chinese New Year's Eve

On 18 February 2015, the Eve of the Chinese New Year, College of Europe students had the opportunity to exchange views on EU-China trade relations with distinguished experts from the European Parliament and the private sector. Professor Jing MEN welcomed the speakers and the students in the China Library at the College of Europe in Bruges, which had been inaugurated last year.

Mr Roberto BENDINI (Principal Administrator at the Policy Department, Directorate General External Policies of the European Parliament) gave a presentation on “EU-China relations from a parliamentary point of view” and provided first-hand insights into the role of the European Parliament in the EU’s diplomacy towards China. Mrs Barbara BARONE (Policy Analyst at the Policy Department, Directorate General External Policies) on the other hand, focused on urban development in China and EU-China cooperation in the field. She provided the students with key data and facts about urban development in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Following the presentations of the speakers from the European Parliament, Mr Renato ANTONINI (Partner at Jones Day) and Jiaming ZHANG (a Chinese qualified lawyer working for Jones Day) shared insights on EU-China trade relations from a legal perspective and possible implications and discussions around granting the PRC market economy status.

The event gave the students the opportunity to celebrate the Eve of the Chinese New Year not only by having the possibility to enjoy a Chinese lunch at the College of Europe canteen on 18 February, but by enriching their understanding of EU-China relations in lectures given by experts in the field.