Like the US and Europe, China was caught by surprise by the Arab spring and had to abruptly adapt its foreign policy to events. China is learning from events in North Africa and the Middle East. Support for unstable regimes is something that can have a concrete and immediate negative impact on China’s interests abroad. Such situations can also lead to costly evacuations of the growing numbers of Chinese citizens now working for Chinese companies on large-scale projects around the world. With Libya, China also had to enter into discussions about the right international response through the two Security Council resolutions.
Beijing’s leaders will adapt China’s foreign policies to the events and crisis in northern Africa and the Middle East in a pragmatic way in particular it’s economic going-out strategy is likely to be coupled with a higher degree of risk management in unstable areas.
For the EU this presents a complex picture – on the one hand, a China that is increasingly appearing to be a possible partner in crisis management (albeit yet on its own terms), but on the other hand it also represents a challenge to democracy promotion and working with partners advancing similar values. EU-Chinese cooperation in this context will be influenced by China’s internal positions on the Jasmine Spring. Striking the right balance will likely dictate the shape of the EU-China strategic partnership.