China and European security and economic interests: A French perspective

It is generally admitted – and expected – that the French perspective on China, its rise, its international role and Euro-Chinese relations is more specific than the German or the British perspective. France’s understanding of its own role in the world, its ambition to be perceived as an independent and yet influential player, distinct from and sometimes critical of the United States, as well as its long relationship with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), initiated by General de Gaulle in 1964, have contributed to building this well-known image.