China's views of Europe: a maturing partnership

China-EU affairs have acquired a new quality and depth. The growing institutionalization of cooperation between the two bears witness to this dynamism. These developments have been subject to growing attention from academic and research institutions. However, only a few studies have been carried out with the specific aim of providing an outline of how the EU is perceived in China. This article seeks to start filling this gap by offering an outline of how the EU is perceived in China through a survey of the data available at the level of public opinion, political elites, civil society and the media. The article argues that the dynamism with which China and EU approach each other is a clear signal that both sides see each other as potential allies in a variety of contexts. The absence of hard security conflicts is an important facilitating factor of this process of convergence. Therefore, it is appropriate to think of China and the EU as two actors experiencing a more mature relationship in a changed systemic environment.