ABSTRACT
This chapter provides insights from a Chinese perspective to explain the content and shape of the China-EU energy dialogue. It shows the motivations, normative orientations, and mutual perceptions of the Chinese actors engaged in the dialogue. Emphasis is also given to the regional and global embeddedness of the dialogue. As the local governments have different priorities, the policies laid down by the central government are sometimes delayed or discontinued at the local level. Inter-governmental interactions between China and the EU began in 1981 when a delegation of EC DG Energy visited China. In 1982, the earliest concrete cooperative action, the China-EU Energy Training Program, commenced. The most common problem identified by the informants is the slow progress in technological cooperation. The newly launched China-EU Investment Agreement provides an opportunity for the two sides to improve the protection of foreign investors, including in the energy sector.
