China's relationship with Europe is significantly different from that with the United States. While the US-China relationship has been a more or less continous source of domestic debate and controversy, the Europe-China relationship has, until recently, attracted relatively little attention. Relations between Europe and China have hitherto been relatively little attention. Relations between Europe and China have hitherto been relatively straightforward and conflict-free. Historically this is a little ironic. After all, it was the European powers, starting with Britain and the Opuim Wars, which colonized China, with the United Sttes very much a latecomer to the process. The 'century of humiliation' was about Europe, together with Japan, with the United States playing no more than a bit part. The present relationship between Europe and China has been low profile largely because Europe, apart from its economic interests, is not longer a major power in East Asia, a position it relinquished to the United States in the aftermath of the Second World War. That Europe is largely invisible in such an important region of the world bears testimony to its post-1945 global decline and its retreat into an increasingly regional role, a process which continues apace and is likely to accelerate with the rise of China and India. With the exeption of the euro, discussion of Europe's wider global role is largely confined to what is know as 'normative power', namely the promotion of standards that are negotiated and legitimezed within international institutions. Nonetheless, with and economy rivalling that of the United States in size, together with the fact that it forms the other half of the Western alliance, Europe's attitude towards China is clearly of some importance.

China's relationship with Europe is significantly different from that with the United States. While the US-China relationship has been a more or less continous source of domestic debate and controversy, the Europe-China relationship has, until recently, attracted relatively little attention.

Relations between Europe and China have hitherto been relatively little attention. Relations between Europe and China have hitherto been relatively straightforward and conflict-free. Historically this is a little ironic. After all, it was the European powers, starting with Britain and the Opuim Wars, which colonized China, with the United Sttes very much a latecomer to the process. The 'century of humiliation' was about Europe, together with Japan, with the United States playing no more than a bit part.

The present relationship between Europe and China has been low profile largely because Europe, apart from its economic interests, is not longer a major power in East Asia, a position it relinquished to the United States in the aftermath of the Second World War.

That Europe is largely invisible in such an important region of the world bears testimony to its post-1945 global decline and its retreat into an increasingly regional role, a process which continues apace and is likely to accelerate with the rise of China and India.

With the exeption of the euro, discussion of Europe's wider global role is largely confined to what is know as 'normative power', namely the promotion of standards that are negotiated and legitimezed within international institutions. Nonetheless, with and economy rivalling that of the United States in size, together with the fact that it forms the other half of the Western alliance, Europe's attitude towards China is clearly of some importance.