Czech MP Examines China-EU Ties Amid Global Economic Uncertainty

The question of whether China and the European Union are partners or rivals took center stage in Shanghai on Friday, as Czech member of the European Parliament Ondrej Dostál shared his views during a talk with teachers and students at Fudan University's Institute for Global Public Policy.

Dostal is a member of the European Parliament's Committees on Public Health and Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety, and his areas of expertise include health legislation, public policy, and international law.

Notably, Dostál was the only member of the European Parliament to attend the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

Dostál's keynote lecture at Fudan examined the future of China-EU relations in the context of deepening geopolitical fragmentation and growing global economic uncertainty.

He highlighted significant internal governance challenges and industrial competitiveness issues confronting the EU. He emphasized that a stable and equitable global system necessitates respect for national sovereignty and the international rule of law.

He advocated for pragmatic alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and the EU's Global Gateway strategy within international institutions, pushing China and the EU to deepen mutual understanding and cooperation to address common global concerns.

During the roundtable discussion, Dostál and Fudan professor Yan Shaohua discussed global supply chain restructuring, EU strategic autonomy, and cross-cultural interchange. Both sides agreed that strategic autonomy is necessary yet difficult.

On economic and trade relations, Dostál said that European countries must prioritize addressing their own long-standing industrial structural issues. He also emphasized cultural and educational interactions as critical links for closer ties.

An agreement was reached to strengthen long-term academic exchanges and talent development collaboration between Fudan and the European Parliament.