- April 12, 2021
On April 12, 2021, Aspen Germany together with Telefonica Germany will host a virtual “Digital Dish” and Basecamp On-Air event on “What Future For EU-China Tech Relations?” with Prof. Alessia A. Amighini, Co-Head, Asia Centre; Associate Senior Research Fellow, Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI); Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Università del Piemonte Orientale; Niels Annen, Minister of State, Federal Foreign Office; Svenja Hahn, Member of the European Parliament, Renew Europe Group and John Lee Senior Researcher and Coordinator, Research Cluster “China’s Use of Digital Technologies,” Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS); moderated by Dr. Stormy-Annika Mildner, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Germany. The European Union (EU) and its member states are undergoing a massive rethink on the impact of technology on its economy, security, and democracy. Brussels has made its quest for “digital sovereignty” a key strategic priority for the coming years. At the same time, the list of the EU’s tech policy issues with China is long and growing, creating the need to explore the demands, challenges and opportunities in this evolving tech relationship. Under the German Council presidency, the EU’s strategic relations with China were high on the agenda and – looking at the ever-growing factor Beijing represents in the international arena – will be one of the top priorities in the months and years to come. The EU has made a U-turn in assessing its relationship with China. For decades referred to as partner, Beijing has now become a systemic rival. China’s geoeconomic and geostrategic approaches have undoubtedly evolved under Xi Jinping, challenging the status-quo of the current international order. China for its part is keen on building out its 5G networks and investments in the European market. It seeks dominance particularly in the field of Artificial Intelligence, having outlined a strategy to become the world’s leading AI power by 2030. This event will focus on the current state of EU-China relations with a special emphasis on the geopolitics of the currently most relevant tech-policy questions but also on new dynamics, such as joint EU.-U.S. initiatives under the new Biden administration and the recently imposed sanctions by the EU. This event builds on the findings of an EU-China technology summit simulation Aspen Germany hosted last November and is the final part of this project. You will find the findings here.
If you would like to register for this online event, please click here or send an e-mail to lorenz@aspeninstitute.de.
