EU–China relations at 50: continuity, change, and institutional resilience

Abstract The year 2025 marks the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the European Union (EU) and China, a partnership that has evolved from modest beginnings in 1975 into one of the most complex and strategically significant in global politics. Although political trust has eroded, five decades of trade, technological exchange, and multilateral cooperation have produced deep interdependence. The interaction between the two sides is now defined by a structural tension between continuity and change. Some dimensions, particularly economic engagement, climate cooperation, and institutional dialogue, have demonstrated remarkable durability, while others, such as politics, norms, and security, have undergone profound transformation. This paper investigates why stability persists in certain areas, while adjustment or disruption occurs in others. It argues that continuity endures where material interdependence, institutional frameworks, and shared functional interests are strong, whereas transformation stems from normative divergence, strategic competition, and external shocks. The result is a hybrid order that combines cooperation and competition within a single framework. Adopting a policy analytical rather than theoretical approach, this paper traces these dynamics across major policy domains and concludes with an assessment of institutional resilience amid continuity and change, showing how bureaucratic structures and diplomatic routines sustain engagement even as the political foundations are weakening.