2023/2024
Technology cooperation and competition between China and the European Union
Type:
Mago-Lego
Delivered by:
School of International Regional Studies
When:
2 module
Open to:
everyone
Instructors:
Istvan Csaba Moldicz
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
3
Contact hours:
42
Course Syllabus
Abstract
The context to technology cooperation between the EU and China is shaped by American and Chinese competition in this area. It is hardly necessary to stress why the topic of “China, the US and the Technological Supremacy in Europe” is important in our world, and our time, however disentangling these elements might help the student understand how and why technological competition is linked to the geopolitical contest between the United States., the EU and China.
The main contribution of this course is to contextualize this competition, cooperation in terms of geopolitics or geoeconomics. The main reason this course centers on technology development, particularly fifth generation (5G) mobile networks, is that this technology standard for mobile phones is considered a keystone for future economic, political, and security frameworks. 5G provides the fundamental infrastructure that will enable faster, simpler, and more efficient networks. It is no wonder that political, military and business decision makers are desperate to win this race. It may be an exaggeration to say that the country that wins this competition can rule the world, but the superpowers of this new world must also lead in 5G.
There is another aspect of this competition that analysts tend to overlook. 5G mobile networks along with other new technologies (artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, etc.) are changing the traditional boundaries between the state and its citizens. As technology changes, so does the technology of surveillance and the resulting capabilities that the state apparatus has access to. On the one hand, we tend to argue that civil society can and should enforce respect for privacy in democratic societies, and this is true; but on the other hand, we need to understand that political regimes are also in competition, so these boundaries will shift in democratic societies too, in favor of less privacy. Thus, the outcome of the struggle between the United States, the EU and China is not only the battle of superpowers, but also it will be a defining element determining our daily lives in the near future.
The next question we can raise about the course, is why we have this strong focus on Europe. In our view, the European continent is important in this competition for two reasons. Europe, particularly the European Union (EU), is wealthy; it is a major market for new technology. At the same time, the EU is militarily weak, where the formulation of a common foreign policy was a huge problem from the beginnings.
We do not exaggerate when we say that drafting, adopting, and implementing a coherent China strategy in the EU has run into significant obstacles in recent years. The main reason in this field for failing cooperation among EU member states is simply their different economic and political interests in the cooperation with China. We systematically analyze these interests in the course, and the legal and business frameworks of two groups of countries within the EU; the three largest economies (Germany, France and Italy) and the Visegrad four countries.
Learning Objectives
- The goal of the course is to highlight the diversity of China-interpretations in the European countries and shed light on the simple why China’s rise lead to political tensions and show why and how the interests of Central European countries differ from the Western European ones.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Understand technology as a key factor in the influence of the superpower "Rise of China"
- Know and understand the technological cooperation and competition between China and the European Union
Course Contents
- The battle for technology: the global arena
- The war of arguments: the European battlefield
- Chinese Investment and 5G cooperation in the EU: France, Germany and Italy
- Chinese Investment and 5G networks in the Visegrad Countries
- Conclusions
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- A. Budenkova V., & А. Буденкова В. (2016). The European Union and Security in the Asia-Pacific Region ; Европейский Союз И Обеспечение Безопасности В Азиатско-Тихоокеанском Регионе. https://doi.org/10.1234/XXXX-XXXX-2015-3-172-177
- Avner Greif, & Guido Tabellini. (2012). The Clan and the City: Sustaining Cooperation in China and Europe. Working Papers. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsrep&AN=edsrep.p.igi.igierp.445
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- China and Europe : the implications of the rise of China for European space, , 2010
- Об отношениях стран, входящих в Европейский Союз. (2017). Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.34B60CA4