How Do We Engage with China in the ‘New Era’? 

The EuroHub4Sino Community Building Conference is designed as a pivotal moment to convene the project’s diverse target audiences—researchers, EU and Member State officials, journalists, businesspeople, and civil society representatives—with the overarching goal of weaving together Europe’s fragmented knowledge nodes on contemporary China. By bringing these communities into dialogue, the conference aims to strengthen the EuroHub4Sino network and deepen engagement with the EH4S platform—an enhanced digital platform designed to support the network’s research, collaboration, and communication efforts. The event also provides a timely opportunity to demonstrate the platform, which will be fully operational shortly after the conference, showcase recent project outputs, and invite participants to become active contributors by registering on the platform and joining the network.

The conference theme— “How do we engage with China in the ‘new era’?” —sets the stage for a critical examination of how, if at all, Europeans can engage and collaborate with China where such cooperation is necessary in an era where China is widely viewed as a security challenge (or threat) and adversary. The EU’s characterisation of China as “a cooperation partner, an economic competitor, and a systemic rival” presents a complex policy dilemma: Can these roles co-exist in practice? If so, what does this look like from the perspective of our target audience, i.e., researchers, officials, the business community, journalists, and practitioners?

Structured around two interactive panels, the event will avoid long-form addresses in favour of dynamic exchanges. Our “conversation starters” will provide their personal insights on what works (and what doesn’t) from their respective perspectives. Their brief and sharp interventions will be followed by tightly moderated discussions in which all participants are encouraged to intervene. This format is designed to maximise exchange and foster new connections across sectors and disciplines.