Clashing Paradigms and Converging Imperatives of EU-China Climate Diplomacy in the Anthropocene

The intersection of ideological paradigms and strategic state interests defines global climate governance. Nowhere is this dynamic more evident than in the climate diplomacy of the European Union (EU) and China, as these two dominant actors navigate the Anthropocene from vastly different governance traditions. The EU seeks to universalize climate norms through liberal-oriented regulatory mechanisms such as the European Green Deal and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), positioning itself as the architect of a rules-based global environmental order. In contrast, China adopts a state-capitalist approach, leveraging ecological modernization as a strategic tool for geopolitical and economic expansion through green infrastructure investments in the Global South. Employing a Constructivist framework, this paper investigates these contrasting models—one normative, the other pragmatic—and reflects on the deeper ideological currents shaping the evolution of climate governance. While both actors acknowledge the existential imperative of decarbonization, their approaches diverge on key issues. Carbon pricing, renewable energy competition and sovereignty in transnational regulatory frameworks are debatable issues in global green governance, as the EU’s commitment to binding multilateralism often clashes with China’s insistence on policy autonomy. This paper argues that EU-China climate diplomacy serves as a test case for whether the liberal international order can absorb competing models or must evolve into a hybrid framework. Reconciling normative ambition with pragmatic leadership, the climate governance of China and the EU becomes an arena for geopolitical influence. Therefore, this paper argues that the trajectory of EU-China engagement will not only shape future decarbonization strategies but also redefine the balance of power in an era of ecological crisis.