EU-China Roundtable: South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, and 50 Years of Diplomatic Relations

Hosted by the Institute for China-Europe Studies (ICES)

On September 9, 2025, the Institute for China-Europe Studies (ICES) hosted a roundtable on EU-China relations and China’s role in its neighbourhood. On the occasion of Dr. Wu Shicun’s visit to Brussels, a selected group of colleagues gathered to discuss relevant issues, including Chinese and European positions in the South China Sea, the current situation in the Taiwan Strait, and 50 Years of diplomatic relations.

The roundtable discussion was introduced by a keynote presentation by Dr. Wu Shicun, Chairman of both the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance (Huayang Center) and the Academic Committee of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies (NISCSS), and a member of the Board of Directors of ICES. He shared his reflections on the current state, as well as China’s positions and policies, regarding the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. In addition, participants raised and discussed issues concerning EU-China economic relations, security concerns, multilateralism, and the future of bilateral relations. The closed-door setting, in particular, allowed for frank exchanges and candid insights, enriched by the diverse backgrounds of participants from both Brussels and China.

We were honored to host Dr. Wu and the HuaYang delegation and deeply appreciate their openness, input, and engagement. Further, we sincerely thank all attendees for their participation and valuable perspectives, as well as the thoughtful comments and questions posed to the delegation from HuaYang. ICES looks forward to continuing these crucial and meaningful conversations and to engaging further with colleagues from China and Europe to discuss the evolving relations.