Maritime cooperation in the European Union-China relations and the 21st century maritime silk road: what is at stake?

Abstract

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its considerable geopolitical and economic weight have brought with it renewed impetus to the EU-China rapport, which has been largely managed by a developing institutionalized strategic partnership (SP). In this context, maritime security, although being a less explored issue, has become increasingly relevant considering not only the maritime component of BRI, but also the two actors’ respective emergences as maritime actors. The chapter analyzes the growing opportunities for cooperation that arise from such context, by resorting to elements of practice theory and Bourdieu’s thinking tools. It concludes that, in spite of existing challenges such as diverging worldviews, competition and some mistrust, there is space for fostering security cooperation.