ABSTRACT
The financial crisis of 2008/2009 strengthened Beijing's influence in global affairs and in this new political environment, Chinese diplomats became less and less disposed to accommodating the EU's human rights concerns. The sovereign debt crisis that unravelled in Europe in 2010 further accelerated China's emergence as a global economic power. The political context undergirding the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue had certainly not changed overnight, as the recuperation of China's international standing post-1989 had developed gradually. The lack of coherence among EU member states in their recommendations at China's UPR session in February 2009 was a missed opportunity of significant proportions. Despite the mutual interest in mending relations, preparations for the next Human Rights Dialogue Seminar and the Dialogue proper proved cumbersome. The official Human Rights Dialogue under the Czech Presidency took place back-to-back with the Seminar on 14 May 2009.
