On March 19, The Belt and Road Institute in Sweden (BRIX) organised an international webinar under the title “EU-China Relations in a Rapidly Changing World”. The webinar brought together 9 speakers from 8 European countries and China. The European and Chinese experts discussed the dramatic changes underway in 2025. These developments, triggered partly by actions taken by President Donald Trump’s Administration, have created possibilities for genuine cooperation and friendship within the global perspective of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Each of the speakers dealt with opportunities and challenges to Europe-China cooperation from their national perspectives and their views of global cooperation for peace and economic development.
PROGRAM
– Introduction by Stephen Brawer, Chairman of Belt and Road Institute in Sweden, Distinguished Research Fellow of the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies.
– Remarks by Mr. Wan Degang, Chargé d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Sweden.
– “Europe at the Crossroads” by Stephen Brawer.
– “An Age of Global Uncertainty – China as the Pillar of Stability” by Erik Solheim, President Europe-Asia Center in Brussels, Former Executive Director of the UN Environment Program, Former Minister of Development of Norway, Vice-President of the International Green Belt and Road Coalition.
– Remarks by Professor Bojan Lalic, Director of the Belt and Road Institute in Belgrade.
– “One Earth and a Shared Future for Humanity: Why Multipolarity Will Lead to Peace and Nationalism is a Dead End” by Einmeier Bernd, President of DCG Entrepreneur for Business Development and Startups, President of German-Chinese Friendship Association, Germany.
– “Rethinking China-EU Relationship in the context of the 50th Anniversary” by Professor Li Xing, Director of European Research Center at Guangdong Institute for International Strategies, Professor of International Relations at Aalborg University, Denmark.
– “The Netherlands/EU-China Relations in a Changing Global Order” by Jan-Menke Hopma, Founder and Chairman of Innovasian Bridge, Holland.
– “From Tito’s Yugoslavia to the West of the Silk Road: the Testimony of a Witness” by Dr. Tomaz Amon, President of the Slovenian-Chinese Friendship Association, Slovenia.
– Presentation by Hussein Askary, Vice Chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden, Distinguished Research Fellow of the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies.
– Closing remarks by Stephen Brawer.