25 Oct 2022/PSSI

The lecture titled "EU-China and US-China Trade Relations: Is there a Chance for Strategic Autonomy in the Age of Weaponization of Trade Dependencies?" discussed the trade dimension of topics related to the debates on decoupling, the efficiency of trade sanctions, economic coercion, and strategic autonomy, all in the context of US-China and EU-China relations.

The lecture discussed the trade dimension of topics related to the debates on decoupling, the efficiency of trade sanctions, economic coercion, and strategic autonomy. As such, it can be relevant for anybody interested in current international economic relations. A prior exposure to such discussions (not just necessarily only in US-China or EU-China, but with respect to other countries) can be useful, however, it should be sufficient to read the selected few texts mentioned below.

The methodological part of the lecture, i.e. the part discussing what types of approaches and data are available to us when we want to evaluate such dependencies will refer to models and concepts from the fields such as input-output analysis and network analysis. 

Finally, for the policy-level conclusions and discussion, it can be useful to know a little about the current Chinese economic model and policies (e.g. Belt and Road Initiative, Dual Circulation Strategy), about recent EU attempts to improve its protection against economic coercion, or about US discussions on US-China decoupling and US attitudes to trade rules under Trump. However, basic ideas and features of the policies will be provided – either during the lecture or in the recommended texts.