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China’s partners or US allies: the dual status of major European states and their voting behaviour in the UNGA

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Abstract

China’s rise, along with deepening Sino-European economic relations, seems to have a strong impact on the diplomatic outlook of actors in Europe. An interesting phenomenon is that, while several major European states have become strategic partners of China, they remain US allies at the same time. In the context of trade tensions and a possible decoupling between China and the USA, what are the diplomatic effects of the close economic relations between Europe and China? To find the answer, this study builds models on the functions of trade and partnerships with China with respect to voting choice of China’s partners, including those in Europe, in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). After making a statistical analysis and presenting detailed analysis on France, Germany, the UK, and Poland, this paper finds that the close economic and trade ties do indeed enhance voting similarity between China and major states in Europe in the UNGA.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Code Availability

The code that supports the findings of this study is available from the corresponding author upon request.

Notes

  1. Thomas S. Wilkins, ‘Alignment’, not ‘alliance’ — the shifting paradigm of international security cooperation. Wilkins suggests that alignment includes such types as alliances, coalitions, security communities, and strategic partnerships.

  2. Thomas S. Wilkins, Russo–Chinese strategic partnership, p. 360; Thomas S. Wilkins, ‘Alignment’, not ‘alliance’ — the shifting paradigm of international security cooperation, p. 68.

  3. “World Development Indicators,” http://data.worldbank.org/topic/economy-and-growth#tp_wdi, accessed Feb. 27, 2014.

  4. “SIPRI Military Expenditure Database,”(http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/milex/milex_database).

  5. Polity IV: regime authority characteristics and transitions datasets, (http://www.systemicpeace.org/inscrdata.html).

  6. Comprehensive partnership between China and Britain (Zhongguo yu Yingguo Quanmian Huoban Guanxi), People’s Daily.com (Renmin Wang), July 17, 2003, http://www.people.com.cn/GB/shizheng/8198/28810/28812/1972812.html.

  7. Reporter’s observation: China UK relations towards a ‘Golden Decade,’ (Jizhe Guancha: Zhongying Guanxi Maixiang “Huangjin Shinian”), People's Daily.com (Renmin Wang), October 19, 2015, http://uk.people.com.cn/n/2015/1019/c352308-27713599.html.

  8. US media: Britain becomes the first major western country to apply to join the AIIB (Meimei: Yingguo Chengwei Shouge Shengqing jiaru Yatouhang Zhuyao Xifang Guojia), Reference News (cankao xiaoxi wang), March 13, 2015, http://www.cankaoxiaoxi.com/finance/20150313/702777.shtml.

  9. Xi Jinping attended the Central Foreign Affairs Working Conference and Delivered an Important Speech (Xijinping Chuxi Zhongyang Waishi Gongzuo Huiyi bing Fabiao Zhongyao Jianghua), Nov.29, 2014. http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2014-11/29/c_1113457723.htm, accessed on June 10, 2017.

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  1. Department of International Relations, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

    Qi Haixia

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Haixia, Q. China’s partners or US allies: the dual status of major European states and their voting behaviour in the UNGA. Asia Eur J 21, 225–250 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-023-00668-8

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