Webinar on Global Gateway & Belt and Road Initiative: European and Chinese Visions for Global Connectivity

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

Please note that views expressed by the speakers do not reflect the policies or positions of the ICES.

As part of the Institute for China-Europe Studies’ (ICES) new dialogue series, titled ICES Dialogues: 50 Years of EU-China Relations, ICES hosted a webinar on June 19, 2025, exploring the Global Gateway (GGI) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Amid rising geopolitical tensions and shifting global alliances, initiatives like China’s BRI and the EU’s GGI are emerging as influential tools of global governance. This webinar explored how both initiatives have evolved beyond infrastructure investment to reflect broader strategic interests, shape international norms, and influence global standards

This webinar offered a timely and critical examination of how the BRI and GGI shape the global landscape. Among the key questions addressed were: What strategic interests, values, and norms underpin these initiatives? How are they impacting global standards and narratives around development (aid)? What areas offer potential for cooperation or competition between the EU and China?

The session was introduced by Mr. YANG Li, Executive Director of ICES, and moderated by Dr. Marie-Sybille DE VIENNE, President of Extrême-Orient Conseil. The discussion featured a distinguished panel of scholars and policy experts from Chinese and European academic and research institutions, offering a range of regional insights and analytical perspectives:

Dr. ZHANG Chao, Associate Professor at the Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS),

Prof. ZHOU Yuyuan, Deputy Director of the Center for West Asian and African Studies and Senior Research Fellow of the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS),

Dr. Ceren ERGENÇ, Research Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), andResearch Fellow at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), and

Pauline VERON, Policy Analyst at the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM).

We extend our sincere thanks to the speakers for their insightful contributions and to our engaged audience for their participation.

If you were unable to follow the discussion live, we invite you to watch the full recording above.