The Belt and Road and China-EU Relations in Light of the Crisis in Ukraine

In this interview with Professor Li Xing, Professor of Development and International Relations at Aalborg University in Denmark, host Hussein Askary discusses the impact of the current dramatic developments in Ukraine on the Belt and Road Initiative.

Professor Li Xing describes China’s position regarding this crisis and the most important aspects of the recent China-Russia Joint Statement signed in Beijing on February 4th. Why there is emphasis on the United Nations Charter and a new paradigm in international relations?

Other questions deal with the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investments (CAI) reached in late 2020 but then rejected by the European Parliament in 2021. On what basis should China-EU relations be built?

We conclude with a discussion on how China and the EU can work together to make the Belt and Road compatible with the EU initiative Global Gateway to combat poverty in the world and achieve prosperity in developing countries. What are the differences in China’s approach to developing nations and that of the EU and the U.S.?

Professor Li Xing is author of the book “Mapping China’s One Belt One Road Initiative”.

Want to know more?

• Watch the video
• Listen to audio
• Professor Li Xing, Research profile
• The Regional and International Studies research group (REGIS)

_{Photo courtsey of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden, brixsweden.org}