European Development Studies

THE DIRECTION OF EU FOREIGN POLICY UNDER THE US-CHINA TRADE WAR By [Student's Name] Course Professor Name of School City and State Date Background The US-China trade war has dramatically affected not only its two main players but also other international actors up to this date, one of which is the European Union (EU) (Jindřichovská and Uğurlu, 2021, p. 3). The EU is the world's largest trading bloc under a balancing tightrope with respect to its foreign policy in a society increasingly dominated by US-China rivalry. The EU has had good trade relations with both countries, but it finds itself across the table of disruption caused by the trade war, under pressure from both the US and China, and in a position to defend its strategic interests (Hill, Smith and Vanhoonacker, 2023, p. 10). The trade war led to significant changes in the pattern of world trade, and the EU had to recast its foreign policy strategies (Itakura, 2019, p. 80). From that perspective, the EU foreign policy has become independent and strategic. At the same time, the defence of its economic interests places greater emphasis on multilateralism and the projection of values in international relations (Lelieveldt and Princen, 2023, p. 100). This is informed by motivations to understand how the EU foreign policy has adapted to the changed nature of the geopolitical and economic landscape, especially with regard to its relationships with the US and China. This research examines the direction of EU foreign policy responses to the China-US war on trade in a search for an explanation of how it faced the complexities along the arcs of global trade and multi-level diplomacy. It requires the implementation of multilateralism, free trade, and strategic autonomy in the EU's framing of foreign policy features that have shaped the responses to the growing tensions between the US and China (Choi, 2023, p. 4). Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework that guides this study is anchored on two dominant approaches in International Relations (IR) theory, namely Neorealism and Liberal Institutionalism. Neorealism focuses on the role of power and security in shaping the behaviour of the state by emphasising how states in an anarchic international system succumb to external threats (Alhammadi, 2021, p. 149). What the EU does in the context of the China-US war on trade can be framed as a response to the potential economic and security threats created by the rivalry between two major powers. On the other hand, Liberal Institutionalism emphasises the relevance of international institutions and cooperation as ways to soften conflicts and reach stability (Ramli and Idris, 2022, p. 74). Through a commitment to multilateralism, free trade, and international law, the EU thus matches the principles of liberal institutionalism in a balancing effort with regard to the relationships between the US and China, at the same time as advancing the cause of a rules-based international order. The theoretical framework will consequently be relied upon for the evaluation of the carried-out foreign policy choices of the EU by conducting an assessment of what those choices reflect in terms of larger aims proposed or set forth, such as strategic autonomy and global stability. Research Questions 1. How has the EU’s international relations strategy shifted in response to the US-China trade war? 2. What strategies has the EU employed to balance its relationships with the US and China while protecting its economic interests? 3. How does the EU's foreign policy reflect its commitment to multilateralism and strategic autonomy in the context of global trade tensions? 4. How will the changes in EU foreign policy affect its position in global governance and international trade over the long run? Methodology This research will be pursued through the adoption of a qualitative case study approach toward the EU's foreign policy direction in response to the China-US war on trade. The case study method is particularly suitable for capturing complex phenomena within their real-life context to allow the researcher's capability for in-depth analysis of a particular subject (Alpi and Evans, 2019, p. 1). Against this backdrop, while this research focuses on the EU as a case study, it probes how the former has orderly mapped its foreign policy in response to the external pressures posited by both the US and China. Subjects The central focus of this study will revolve around official EU policy documents, statements by EU leaders, and agreements developed under trade and foreign policy. These documents will help tease out the EU's foreign policy strategies and their balancing act vis-à-vis the US and China. This study will be complemented by data from worldwide agencies such as the World Trade Organization and the U.N., reflecting the EU's position in global governance and multilateralism. Finally, the expert interviews will be carried out by EU policymakers, diplomats, and trade experts. This will offer first-hand knowledge of the strategic reactions the EU has thought about against the China-US war on trade and about the processes of deciding on the changes in the path of the international relations strategy of the European Union. Data Collection Procedures The data collection process will involve the following steps: Document Analysis: The main sources of data for this study will come from shelves of EU policies, including trade agreements, diplomatic letters, and policy pronouncements. Several EU institutions, including the Council, Commission, and European External Action Services, will also be sources for the materials. Document analysis will find th...