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Ambassador (ret.) Piet Steel Written by Ambassador (ret.) Piet Steel, Chairman of Europe – Asia Center and Consul General of Kingdom of Belgium to Hong Kong (1993 and 1997) As Consul General of Belgium in Hong Kong between 1993 and 1997, I was a privileged witness of the years leading to the reunification of Hong Kong with the People’s Republic of China. These were bonding years for me with the people of Hong Kong and its growing expat community, allowing me to get a deep understanding of the political, economic and social stakes behind the reunification. Since I left Hong Kong in 1997, I continued to travel to the Territory as Chairman of the Belgium Hong Kong Society and vice-Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide. At each visit I was comforted in my opinion that Hong Kong’s destiny and future were closely interconnected with the further political and economic developments in China. And that is what has happened since. On July 1st we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, an “inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China” as internationally recognised in Article One of the Basic Law. This anniversary deserves to be honoured as an historic milestone in China’s millenary past. This is an occasion that couldn’t leave anyone who stands for peace and justice indifferent. The 25 years of “one country, two systems” have, admittedly, had their share of challenging moments, but overall the formula conceived by the paramount Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and agreed upon with the British colonial power, to peacefully make Hong Kong part of China again, has proven to be successful and has demonstrated the extraordinary political foresight and vision of the then political leadership. News about the imminent demise of Hong Kong is a recurrent feature in the Western media, but the City today remains as vibrant as ever. Neither two serious health crises, nor grave financial turbulences, nor political strife, nor violent riots have shaken Hong Kong’s sterling foundations of stability and prosperity. Branded as one of the most diverse and dynamic cities in the world, Hong Kong has rightly upheld and fostered its unique position of a natural, vital and multicultural gateway to and from China, the rest of Asia and beyond. Hong Kong is Asia’s World City. Its stellar attributes of openness, ingenuity, entrepreneurial and cosmopolitan mind-set, hard work and steely diligence, are firmly rooted in the spirit and temperament of its people. As residents of a Special Administrative region in China, they will doubtless continue to strive for keeping their prominent place in Asia and the world. It is in the interest of China, Europe and the world to have a stable Hong Kong as a financial and technological powerhouse, playing a significant part in the consolidation of a multipolar global order. I wish Hong Kong and its people every success in the years to come. Hong Kong for ever!

The address by Amb. (ret.) Piet Steel is a transcript of his keynote given at the webinar “Ukraine: What happened? What’s next?”, hosted by CCG – China Center for Globalization. While we are discussing this morning the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, Putin’s air force continue to bomb indiscriminately Ukrainian cities. Kyiv is the new front line in this atrocious war. Before entering more in detail on the short term and long term repercussions of this invasion, let me express my utter horror and disgust at the blatant, unprovoked attack by Putin against an independent, sovereign, peace loving country. This is Putin’s war, not the war of the Russian people. In my long career as a Belgian diplomat, having been a privileged witness of the end of the cold war, I have never been so shell-shocked, never been so numb, listening to the news last week of the Russian invasion into Ukraine. This was unprovoked, without any justification whatsoever except lies and fake facts, without any legal ground, nothing, pure blatant military power on innocent Ukrainians. This is a senseless war, perpetuated by a cold dictator who thinks he can reshape the world according to his own wishes. Very emotionally, I say: NO PASARAN I want to pay tribute to the Ukrainian people and President Zelensky for their heroic resistance. They will prevail whatever the price they will have to pay for their ultimate victory. Sorry for this emotional words, but I am not only a retired diplomat but more importantly a father and a grandfather. How can I explain to them this kind of barbaric medieval violence coming from Russia, a country known for its rich culture and civilization? As I said, while we are discussing the faith of the valiant Ukrainians, their faith is left in the balance. What will happen after another terrible night in Kiev? Will there be a ceasefire soon to save lives and reputations? An even greater bloodbath? Total war? Total surrender? A tactical retreat of the aggressor? A civil war ? There are still too many open questions, but what is now already certain the Russian invasion of Ukraine will reshape, redraw the geopolitical map of Europe. Gone is the era of prudent appeasement and active cooperation with the Putin regime. Putin is definitely revealing himself as the archenemy of the free world, as a military gangster within Europe. This was already apparent after his incursions in Georgia, Crimea, East Ukraine, Moldavia, Syria, and recently Kazakhstan. It was further apparent after the shooting down of a passenger plane in 2014, and the poisoning and assassination of his political opponents. Until last week, the West tolerated his behavior and did not resist, or very little. Not anymore. Putin has achieved in one week what he has been trying to avoid the last twenty years. NATO, which last year was still declared “brain dead”, has found a new lifeblood, new vigor and new unity. In the short term we can expect to see more American boots on the ground in Europe, and in the medium term a genuine European defense. The defense spending, the strategic cooperation, the geographical presence: this will become more and more European. How Europe will pay for it, remains to be seen. The most amazing unintended consequence of Putin’s invasion is Germany which has this week decided to become a true military power in Europe, the first time since the end of the Second World War. As long as Putin is in power, democratic Europe will be in a permanent flux of conflict with Russia. Every European democracy, not a member of the EU or NATO will feel strategically threatened by Russia. The further expansion of the EU and NATO is now predictable. A new iron curtain will be erected. The invasion of Ukraine is a wake-up call for Europe’s relations with China. We will have to review significantly our relationship and our mutual dependencies. War should not mean politics but with other means. China’ first reactions against Putin’s invasion were ambiguous but its decision to abstain in the Security Council condemning Russia’s invasion is a hopeful sign that China eventually will choose to be standing on the right side of history, and side with the nations in favor of a rules and value based international order and opposing the law of the jungle. We remain hopeful that China will take up a mediation role to bring back peace and the rule of law. It is in its own interest and in the interest of the survival of this planet.

Call to Global leaders, following the webinar “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” – The Importance of Sports Diplomacy in Building Asia – Europe Relations The universal values of excellence, friendship and mutual respect are the foundations of the Olympic movement redefined through the modern manifesto of Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1892. These values are shaping the Olympic movement, and inspire all those who foster the spirit of harmonious partnership of the global community. With the original Olympics dating to 776BC in the era of Ancient Greece, the Olympic movement started as a Greek festival celebrating Zeus, the Greek God of sky and weather. The six-month long games that united athletes from city-states through competitions in wrestling, boxing, long jump, javelin, discus and chariot racing, remains an inspiration for modern times. Just think of of ‘Ekecheiria’ or “Olympic truce” which during the time of the games,was the personification of truce, armistice and cessation of hostilities allowing all the athletes and pilgrims to travel safely from their home cities to the games.. Ekecheiria belong to the core values of the Ancient Olympic Games. It is still more than relevant in today’s world. With the renewal of the Olympic Truce by the International Olympic Committee and a year later on October 25th 1993 with the revived Truce of the United Nations in their Resolution 48/11, the Olympic spirit constitutes the platform of dialogue for peace and security in the world. It aims aims at both mobilizing the Olympic spirit in the younger generations and at facilitating a genuine dialogue between communities in conflict, and creating a window of opportunities for global dialogue and reconciliation. On 20 July 2021, the International Olympic Committee approved a change in the Olympic motto that recognises the unifying power of sport and the importance of solidarity. The change adds the word “together” after an en dash to “Faster, Higher, Stronger”. Sports diplomacy is a new term that describes an old practice: the unique power of sport to bring people, nations, and communities closer together via a shared love of physical pursuits. Though sport diplomacy is not new, the power of sport has never been more important in our current century. The Olympics Games continue to be internationally significant event that unite people through the ultimate manifestation of the greatest achievements in the field of sports. Celebrating the upcoming Olympic year, we aim to highlight the importance of the Olympic spirit of “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” as an important driver f for human communication and development. The Olympic Games are a unique stage for athletes and a global showcase of unity conveyed through the Olympic spirit. In spite of the differences in cultures, languages, geography, colours and races, we share the charm and joy of the sport events worldwide, and together we seek for the ideal of humankind for peace. We belong to the same world and we share the same aspirations and dreams. And it is through the power of sport that facilitation of peace and bridging gaps between nations and cultures can happen. It builds long-term mutually beneficial partnerships with third countries and societies, particularly when relations have become estranged. Sport diplomacy extends the appeal of a nation’s people and culture to third countries through the cultivation of people-to-people links with grassroots initiatives becoming increasingly prominent. As the famous ping-pong diplomacy case illustrates, the visit between Chinese ping-pong athletes and their US counterparts in 1971 opened the door for people’s exchanges between China and the United States and paved the way for a sustainable Sino–US rapprochement. The changes that followed the event were so incremental that ping-pong diplomacy has been remembered as ‘a small ball making turn the big ball’. Ahead of the Olympic Winter Games hosted in Beijing, we as athletes endorse any initiative calling an open dialogue between the East and the West. We wish the Olympic Winter Games every success in uniting the world through the power of sports and the Olympic spirit!

Once hailed as a wonder material, plastic has become a threat to life Written by H.E. Erik Solheim, Vice-chair of the Europe – Asia Center, former UN Deputy Secretary General and Executive Director of UNEP When plastic was introduced in the United States in the 1950s, it was seen as the wonder material. We could preserve food better, make cars and aircraft lighter and protect against dangerous bacteria. But as often happens in human life, when we discover something good, we get addicted. We start overusing it. There are three main reasons why humanity needs to overcome its addiction to plastic. Plastics have no role in nature. They are causing an environmental catastrophe. A whale died in Thailand recently. It vomited plastic bags while passing away. Sea birds dive down mistaking plastics for shellfish. They feed their chicks with this poisonous food. They perish, as do camels, cows and turtles, in all corners of the planet. Single-use plastic is an additional economic disaster. Who will swim along the wonderful beaches in Hainan province, in Sri Lanka or in Bali, if it means entering a sea of plastics? For this reason, tourism-dependent Indonesia declared plastic pollution a major economic threat to the nation. Plastics enter our bodies. We breathe plastic, we drink plastic and we eat plastic. Bigger plastic items fragment in nature and get into our bodies as microplastics. Fish carry plastics. Even the most pristine waters of the world, in the Himalayas or the Arctic, now contain microplastics. We don’t know exactly how microplastics affect the human body. But no one has suggested that is good for us. Fortunately, we know how to solve the plastic crisis. The solution doesn’t involve costly high tech or impossible international diplomacy. Every nation can act, without looking over their shoulder asking what others are doing. The cleanest nation in the world is the most improbable place. In small, poor, landlocked Rwanda you cannot find garbage in the streets. The capital city of Kigali is absolutely clean. “All Rwandans keep clean at home”, President Paul Kagame told me. We just need to transform that spirit to the community at large. The solution is three-fold. First, we should prohibit all single-use plastics we do not need. Let’s simply ban straws, plastic cutlery, plastic cups and bags. This is what the Indian government has done even if it’s not yet fully respected everywhere. The European Union has done the same. We can all drink straight from a normal glass, without straws. In average, one North American uses 600 straws a year. Does it make them happier? There is no need to wait. Let’s just do it. We can be a lot more innovative. Straws can be made from bamboo or from paper. Indians have through millenniums eaten from plates made of banana leaves. All over the planet startups are trying to make products with the characteristics of plastics from potatoes, sugar cane and many other natural materials. If we throw away natural products, they will disintegrate in nature. China’s delivery industry, for example, annually produces about 1.8 million metric tons of plastic waste. Bamboo, which is fast-growing, resilient and sustainable, can be used as a substitute for single-use plastics, while being recyclable and eco-friendly. Planting bamboo can restore degraded or deforested land, mitigate soil erosion and provide food for giant pandas and mountain gorillas. Second, we need to recycle. Yes, we can ban single-use plastics, but we still have many plastic products which are useful to us and not so easy to replace. A normal car contains many kilos of plastics, it makes the car lighter and consumes less energy. These plastics must be brought in and recycled. Between 2011 and 2020, China recycled 170 million tons of plastic waste, helping reduce crude oil consumption by 510 million tons and cut carbon emissions by 61.2 million tons. China has grown into the largest plastic recycling country in the world. It recycled about one-third of its new plastic waste in 2021, about 1.7 times the global average. Beijing is making headway in this regard, requiring the city’s courier services to step up and fully transform the packaging practice, switching to digital waybills, narrower packaging tape and recyclable bags. The city of Shanghai, and provinces such as Shanxi, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian are taking similar measures, all in alignment with a 2020 directive from the Chinese government. Hangzhou, the host city of the postponed 2022 Asian Games, scheduled to take place in September, is set to make the Games a showcase of its “zero-waste city “endeavor and create a “zero-waster “model for large-scale sporting events. It is making this bold attempt by going green, frugal, paperless and recyclable. Third, let the market wave its magic wand. All countries should introduce Extended Producer Responsibility. That is the polluter-pays principle for the plastics era. A company which contributes to the plastic crisis should also be held responsible for funding the solution. With extended producer responsibility, companies will be engaged in driving the technology for change. They will have to pay a levy on plastics which governments can use to organize plastic collection and pay for large-scale recycling. Waste is a potential resource. We can turn it into new products, creating jobs and prosperity, protecting Mother Earth all at the same time. Individuals can also act. Afroz Shah is an Indian environmental activist best known for organizing the world’s largest beach clean-up project, inspiring people around the world to clean up their environment. I have joined him for many clean-ups at rivers and beaches in the mega city of Mumbai. What started as an individual following his heart to act, became a vast movement for political and business change and for a new pact between humans and nature. A young Sri Lankan Nishanka De Silva started Zero Plastics Sri Lanka in the midst of the economic meltdown of his home country. I thought it was impossible to mobilize young people for green action amid the crisis. Incredibly, young Sri Lankans turned out in droves. The global people’s movement to fight single-use plastics is still in its early days. But there is no doubt, it will be successful. China will continue to play a critical role in solutions. On world Environment Day — let’s join hands to beat plastic pollution. Editorial contribution was made as part of China Daily editorial article. H.E. Erik Solheim is furthermore the vice president of the Green Belt and Road Coalition and former executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily.

Positioning paper on the vision of the Europe – Asia Center, written by Ambassador Jean De Ruyt and H.E. Erik Solheim Ambassador Jean De Ruyt and H.E. Erik Solheim, the Co-Chairs of the Europe – Asia Center With recent developments around the globe, it has become virtually impossible to anticipate with precision what will happen in 2024. From the war in Ukraine and Gaza, the ‘super-election’ year in so many countries involving nearly half of the world’s population, it is yet to be seen who will be at the steering wheel to navigate nations through such turbulent times. In Asia, the election year started with the elections in Bangladesh and Taiwan, to be followed by India, Indonesia, South Korea, and Pakistan. As an international non-profit organization based at the heart of Europe, we will continue to follow the election developments on both the national level and European elections, resulting in the appointment of a new European Commission leadership at the end of 2024. Belgium is leading the presidency of the European Council in the first half of 2024, followed by Hungary in the second. The key legislative agenda will need to be concluded in the first months of the year, yet many Directives and Regulations are still in discussion, becoming a pressing issue in reaching agreements due to the European election in early June. The announcement of the European Council president, Charles Michel, to renounce his post mid-year and to compete for a seat in the European Parliament is a sign that the campaign has already begun. The Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, is very conscious of the need to keep active the dialogue with Asia and started his presidency with an official visit to Beijing on January 10. Such high-level visits, including the visit to Beijing by the president of the European Commission in December, are being closely analysed by our Center. Policies, including the ‘de-risking’ of the relationship with China and the imbalance in trade with the EU, are indeed the current hot topics of interest. We at the Europe-Asia Center have resolutely decided that these differences should be approached by dialogue and not by emulating those who, mainly in the United States, seem to be tempted by a new ‘cold war.’ November 5 is a key date in the year with the world following closely the primaries in the US and the election of the new president which will obviously have a significant influence on the world’s stage. Should Donald Trump return to the White House, the agenda will be very different to a US under a second term for Joe Biden. We have to be prepared, in Europe as well as in Asia, for the two alternatives. Political developments have not been the only concern to the global outlook. In the past year, our wonderful Planet Earth has borne witness to an unprecedented number of natural disasters, ranging from devastating wildfires in Europe and Canada to floods in Pakistan and cyclones in Myanmar. Globally, fossil fuels were endowed with over $7 trillion in subsidies last year alone, translating to a staggering $11 million every minute. 2023 was the hottest year on record. Despite these disconcerting realities, we need to have hope for the political economy. Change is historically slow until there is a convergence, often with no warning. We are in the early days of the renewable revolution, one that will certainly take place. Two pivotal shifts in the trajectory of global climate action have emerged since the UN climate talks in Bali in 2007. Firstly, the scale and scope of these conferences have dramatically changed. What started as a gathering of a few thousand diplomats intensely focused on negotiated texts has now grown into a gathering of over 100,000 people in Dubai. Business is now perhaps the main driver of change. With the cost reduction of solar and wind energy by 90% over the last decade it is the ‘political economy, stupid,’ if we paraphrase the quote of President Bill Clinton. The second notable shift is geopolitical. Where we previously recommended Brussels, Berlin, or Paris for exemplifying environmental practices, the tide has shifted towards Beijing, Delhi, and Jakarta. With China leading in over 60% of all green markets, Prime Minister Modi launching green missions by the day, and Indonesia achieving zero deforestation in 2022, our extensive engagements throughout China, India and the ASEAN region leave us in awe of the great strides being made. It is a clear demonstration of a shift in emphasis from diplomatic discussions to a focus on the political economy, also from Europe to Asia. But the transition requires active engagement, given the multitude of obstacles on the path to a greener and fairer world. It’s a no-brainer that if we wish to solve the major issues of our time – climate and environment, poverty and unemployment, wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, and beyond – we need more, not less, global cooperation. The foundation for a lasting global order in 2024 and beyond rests on two fundamental principles: mutual respect and dialogue. Rejecting a zero-sum worldview is essential; the ascent of China over the last 40 years benefits not only the Chinese but humanity as a whole. Embracing a new global order demands genuine collaboration and respect between major players such as China, the US, India, the European Union, Turkey, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa and Russia. To achieve civilisational prosperity, the Europe-Asia Center is committed to empowering relationships between the communities of Europe and Asia. We have to work on forward-thinking initiatives that can deliver tangible benefits, contributing to the prosperity of the world, of everyone.

Paris, February 1st, 2023 On January 29, 2024, the preparatory meeting for the launch of the “Oriental Lifestyle Aesthetics & Ecological Alliance” in partnership between Yu Yuan Group, Europe – Asia Center and European Institute For Comparative Urban Research (EURICUR). Europe – Asia Center was represented by Madame Sheila Arora, vice-chair, Matic Gajsek, director for Europe and May Ma, Director of the Cultural Communication. Exploring the theme of “In Harmony with Nature, Linking Friends Across Mountains and Seas”, Madame Sheila Arora, on behalf of the Europe – Asia Center, Prof. Jan van der Borg, Director of EURICUR, and Junjie Hu, Vice President of Yu Yuan Group, signed a cooperation agreement to establish the Oriental Lifestyle Aesthetics Ecological Alliance. This alliance aims at connecting a range of organizations and enterprises in the Culture and Creative industries, specifically in domain of fashion, as well as culture and creative tourism, connecting it with investment and market opportunities in Europe and China. Alliance’s vision is to foster an Oriental Lifestyle Aesthetics Ecological Circle based on the mutual understanding of civilizations, the coexistence of cultures, and the development of industrial co-creativity. Mr. Junjie Hu from Yu Yuan Group highlighted Oriental Lifestyle Aesthetics being among the “beauties of life”, discovered by Chinese people in different historical periods, of different classes and embodying a variety of perspectives. In an open and diverse world, Oriental Lifestyle Aesthetics has become the vocabulary for China’s in-depth communication and interaction with people around the globe. Over the last few years Chinese enterprises, represented by Yu Yuan Group, have been actively practicing Oriental Lifestyle Aesthetics, enhancing the industry’s cultural depth. For example, the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival, a national legacy project in China, has gone abroad and lit up the night sky of Paris, becoming a popular leisure event for the local people. Similarly, the landmark of Shanghai’s urban cultural and tourism industry, the Grand Yuyuan District is introducing European fashion resources to promote the city’s diverse characteristics, and to create a humanistic neighborhood where the East and the West meet together. Madame Sheila Arora emphasized that cooperation between Europe – Asia Center, Yu Yuan Group and EURICUR once again reflects the importance of dialogues between China and Europe. Cultural exchanges and cultural and tourism industries are not only a driving force for economic prosperity, but also a means to deepen the mutual understanding. In the current context of regional inequality and cultural barriers, Oriental Lifestyle Aesthetics presents a constructive solution by prioritizing humanistic communication, industrial interaction and the quality of life for citizens around the globe. We are pleased to see that Yu Yuan Group is continuously building high-quality cultural and tourism industry products by leveraging its rich industrial foundation and cultural resources. The Europe Asia Center will also facilitate communication and collaboration among industry stakeholders, governments, non-for profit organizations and at various levels, so as to contribute to the establishment of the Oriental Lifestyle Aesthetics system. Prof. Jan van der Borg highlighted the significance of sustainable development, which has garnered widespread support in European countries. Concept that encompasses ecological friendliness, energy innovation, environmental responsibility, and the preservation of cultural heritage. Yu Yuan Group’s strategy for Oriental Lifestyle Aesthetics not only centers on culture but also emphasizes the integration of cultural styles with industrial scenarios. It serves as an exemplary case study for society’s sustainable development and aligns seamlessly with the trajectory of Sino-European dialogue. The ongoing construction in the Grand Yuyuan District is both dynamic and challenging. EURICUR is eager to contribute its expertise to elevate the distinct identity of this century-old cultural district in terms of residential, cultural, and industrial spaces. The goal is to transform it into a benchmark for comparative studies between Chinese and European cities. Xiang Feng, Director of the EURICUR Shanghai Branch and Liling Li, Director of the Institute for Oriental Lifestyle Aesthetics Research at Yu Yuan Group presented an overview of the collaborative project-the design and production of the Oriental Lifestyle Aesthetics Experience Guide. Focused on inbound tourism to Shanghai, the guide integrates rich Eastern aesthetic scenes and popular landmarks, providing a distinctive Oriental aesthetic experience for incoming visitors with a user-friendly, visually appealing format. For press enquiries: Matic Gajšek, Director for Europe, Europe – Asia Center E-mail: m.gajsek(at)europe-asia.org

Brussels, May 18th, 2023 The Europe-Asia Center proudly hosted a high-level dialogue between vice-chair H.E. Erik Solheim, former UN Deputy Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environmental Programme, and Ambassador Fu Ying, former Vice Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. The virtual event revolved around prospects of China-EU relations in the multilateral world. Excellency Solheim and Ambassador Fu Ying concluded dialogue with a key emphasis on the need for fostering bridge-building and mutual understanding. Europe – Asia Center’s director Ms Rui Yan and deputy director Matic Gajsek furthermore presented center’s ongoing projects and discussed synergies of collaboration between the center and Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) of Tsinghua University. About Fu Ying Fu Ying served as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, firstly responsible for the European Affairs and then for Asian Affairs (2009-2013). As a renowned senior diplomat, she started her career with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in 1978 and had long engaged in Asian affairs. She was appointed as Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines (1998-2000), Director General of the Asian Department of MFA (2000-2003), Ambassador to Australia (2003-2006), and Ambassador to the United Kingdom (2006-2009). Fu Ying was elected deputy to China’s 12th (2013) and then 13th (2018) National People’s Congress (NPC) and served as Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee and spokesperson of the 12th NPC. She now serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee of China’s 13th National People’s Congress. Ambassador Fu Ying is the founder of the Center for International Security and Strategy of Tsinghua University (CISS), where she holds the post of Chairperson.

Brussels, 13th December 2021—The Europe-Asia Centre, as an affiliated partner, co-organised the launching ceremony of the Chinese version of A Belgian Passage to China, 1870-1930, a book containing unique and never before published images, letters, diaries and documents which present a historical record of Belgium-China interchange during the 60 years. The launching ceremony of the Chinese translation of the book took place at the Villa Empain, which was rebuilt and renovated by the Boghossian Foundation in 2010 as a centre of Art and Dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures. His Excellency Mr Herman Van Rompuy, President Emeritus of the European Council, and his Excellency Mr Cao Zhongming, the Ambassador of China to Belgium both attended the event and the former delivered a keynote address to the audience alongside the author and co-authors of A Belgian Passage to China, Dr Johan Mattelaer, Mr Charles Lagrange and Mr Thomas Baert. Ambassador (ret.) and Chairman of the Europe – Asia Center Piet Steel, gave his closing remarks on importance of initiatives such as the book ‘A Belgian Passage to China’ for strengthening the people to people context and dialogue between Belgium and China. In September 2020, the China Platform at Ghent University announced the publication of A Belgian Passage to China, 1870-1930. This book brings a forgotten episode of Belgium’s overseas history into the limelight, highlighting two Belgian infrastructure projects in China back then: the building of a power station and a tram network in Tianjin and the railway construction yards between Beijing and Hankou. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Belgium and the People’s Republic of China in 2021, the Chinese translation of the book was released this year by China’s Social Science Academic Press. His Excellency Herman von Rompuy delivered a keynote speech at the launching ceremony. Before entering in some more substantive comments on the content of the book and on the relationship between China and Europe and between China and Belgium, His Excellency congratulated the main author of the book, Dr Johan Mattelaer, and the co-authors: Professor Mathieu Torck, Charles Lagrange, Roland Dussart-Desart, Patrick Maselis, Thomas Baert. He furthermore commented that this book was “very well written and impressively well documented, showcasing “the unsophisticated pictures of daily life in old China taken by Philippe Spruyt”, showing “the nineteenth-century buildings or trains, trams, factories”, and “the famous and less famous personalities”. His Excellency briefed the audience on the book’s content, particularly on China during the period of the 19th century, and about the people living in what was now Belgium — “their character, their adventurous spirit, the strong religious beliefs of many of them, their faculty to adapt to other cultures, their entrepreneurship”. This book also told its readers that the Sino-Belgian history started with missionaries who was attracted by Chinese culture, civilisation and people. Moreover, the Belgian industrialists discovered the huge economic potential of China in the 19th century when Belgium was an engineering powerhouse with trains, tramways and steel yards. His Excellency mentioned the perfection of the Villa Empain for this event, because Baron Edouard Empain was a pioneer who invested in Shanghai, smoothing the path of other big industrial ventures of which the railway between Beijing and Hankou (today Wuhan) and the tramways in Tianjin. His Excellency reviewed the benefit of China’s economic reforms in 1978. To illustrated this point, he took Dr Paul Baron Janssen, founder of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, who established the first Western pharmaceutical factory in China (Xi’an), as an example. Quoting Dr Mattelaer’s remarks to conclude the lessons learned from this shared Sino-Belgian history. It said: “…the personal histories of individuals and the major lines of history in general, are intended to serve as a record of times gone by, which may help readers of all ages to discover, remember and, above all, understand how the past can shape the present and the future, so that the people of the world can learn for their common heritage in order to acquire a better understanding of each other as that future unfolds”. His Excellency gave his opinion on today’s current economic, trade and political situation. He said “China has become an economic and technological power, a transformation that has caused significant changes to the established global economic order. The EU trade with China developed in such a way that China has become after Brexit our largest trading partner in 2020 before the US and the UK.” His Excellency pointed out that “the EU relationship with China is multi-faceted and complex”. First, China “is already the world’s largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity.” However, he didn’t believe in the Thucydides trap and historical determinism. Second, “the rivalry between the US and China does not lead to bi-polarity or a G2…Today there is more multipolarity or a-polarity.” Lastly, “globalisation has created over decades a strong economic interdependence between global actors…Chinese exports to the EU climbed by 33.5% year-on-year in November.” His Excellency believed that we must overcome the lack of trust between global actors and diplomacy — the alternative for war — should not only work with “like-minded” countries but also with those who think and act differently. At last, he expressed his thankfulness to Dr Johan Mattelaer for inviting him to this ceremony and his happiness for the agreement on a summit between the EU leaders and Chinese President Xi Jingping soon. The event was concluded with official hand-over of the first Chinese translation of the book ‘A Belgian Passage to China’ with Excellency Mr Cao Zhongming, the Ambassador of China to Belgium, author Dr Johan Mattelaer and Ambassador (ret.) Piet Steel. The launch of this book in combination with its Chinese translation, demonstrates the summary of Belgium-China historical diplomatic experience and cultural exchanges and is likely to be an auspice at this meaningful new starting point for exploring new ways and new areas of bilateral cooperation for the future, benefiting the peoples of the two countries and the whole world. Photos: Charles Yao (Europe – Asia Center, all rights reserved)

»Autonomy is the capacity of an agent to act in accordance with objective morality rather than under the influence of desires.”[1] Written by H.E. Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner for Transport and Mobility (2014 – 2019), Deputy Prime-Minister of Republic of Slovenia We live in times where every m2 of the planet is claimed. Where every citizen of the world has multiple identities[2], where glocalization is blurring the borders, where businesses are depending on each other globally, and the awareness along with knowledge is broadening the minds of individuals faster than societies can re-adjust. These changes seem to represent bigger and bigger challenge to the establishment, “old money” and self-proclaimed political elite who keep forgetting that the bigger the development gap is, the more conflicts emerge, larger the distance between citizens and the politics is, more extreme ideas surface, smaller the middle class is, poorer the economy and less capacity of the society to readjust to the forces of life. But the new is growing in spite of the resistance to change and many different scenarios are emerging. It is of the utmost importance that societies lay out different scenarios and be ready to re-adjust the understandings based on the emergence of new. At the same time the complexity of our societies is growing, concentrating over 80% of the global population in the cities, more and more activities are being exercised in Nature 3[3], infusing even more VUCA[4]characteristics. They are challenging our perception of life, our role in the Universe, our ability to respond, our ability to organise and act. The old leadership styles, organisational designs and governance models are no longer able to adequately respond to these changes, adding another layer of complexity to the unstable transitional period. We are more and more acting in the spirit of RUPT[5] behaviour without ever being trained or educated for it. Such lack of knowing adds confusion and spreads unnecessary fear and instability to our societies, making us even more vulnerable in the face of the laws of nature. In the middle of this dynamics the EU is searching for its strategic autonomy, looking for its space in the repositioning of global powers and the emergence of new global net based business and social models. The task is dealing not only with identification of the core strategic pillars of the EU’s sovereignty, but also addressing embedded differences between member states, e.g., historical, cultural, religious, national. But the good news is that such a debate is taking place. The EU has been seriously challenged in the last 10 years with one crisis after the other[6]. Each of the crises has shown the weaknesses and strengths of this ever-evolving European project. My intention is to argue that the EU needs a clear positioning around the major global trends, as well as some country specific issues. However, autonomy does not mean isolation. I would even argue that isolation is killing autonomy. The secret is in knowing what you want, how you want it and why and then engage with the rest of the world based on this basic intention. My invitation is that the EU gains a clear strategic autonomy over the following issues: 1. Democracy In spite of the fact that the number of democratic countries is rising, a closer look reveals that many of them are in transition, “pointing to the democratic fragility of many democracies. The number of weak democracies with low democratic quality is increasing”[7]. We can claim that this description applies to the EU as well. So, the EU has to decide if it wants to be a global reference point for democracy? Will it continue to invest in the rule of law, equal opportunities, gender equality, free press, collaborative decision-making systems? This is slipping away, and the EU institutions seem to be weak in defending this pillar of democracy. In the current situation there is room to evolve the EU democracy further. Some of the options for the next development stage might be found in the empowering of the role of citizens, increasing the participatory engagement, strengthening the governance over the key pillars of sovereignty, making a narrative of the EU’s democracy story, while removing the traces of the British legacy. Then lead and become a true global voice of democracy. 2. Digitalisation Digitalisation helped us to dramatically increase the number of connections with different subjects and objects through diversified communication channels, paving the way for receiving a huge amount of data and/or information at any given time of the day. With digital technologies came many discussions about »who is actually leading the world«, »who is creating our future«, »do we still have free will«, and above all, “who owns the data”. The citizens are trapped between 3 polarising global models: “all data are owned by a state”, “all data are owned by a corporation” and the EU model that deals with data from a perspective of the “users’ rights”. Yet, the citizens are left out in the open without definition of accountability and stewardship over assets for the next generation. Taxpayers, paying for a large proportion of R&D, do not profit from that research and investments directly. In the best-case scenario, they get a chance to buy them[8] back in the form of products, services and solutions. On top of democratic digital architectures like the internet and blockchains, new global monopolies are being built, pushing towards a technology-based world. Ideas like transhumanism, singularity and surveillance capitalism are used as a new global framework to control and manipulate with ought democratic governance in the interest of users and citizens. This is a great opportunity for the EU to push for a global regulator based on the users’ rights to create a safe and secure digital environment for the users and service providers. 3. Climate change Climate change is another shared challenge to human societies. Especially because of the lack of system approach and due to a narrow focus in our response to changes which on one hand are part of a natural Earth cycle, and on the other hand, are caused by humans speeding up the climate change process with pollution and overconsumption. The excessive use of the Earth’s resources and our misbehaviour brought us to the point that we are having a hard time to re-adjust. The Earth has seen many climate changes. However, the biggest difference in responding to climate change today compared to the past is that we can no longer move freely around the Planet. Today, all the land is claimed for, so any larger movement of people is associated with conflicts, destabilisation of societies, and even wars. So, for the first-time people are challenged to find adequate solutions for climate change at the place where they live. Such re-adjustments can only be built on a high level of solidarity, openness, collaboration and a shared vision for the Planet as a whole. The EU has experienced a double edge effect: on one hand a growing pollution due to the oil-based lifestyle, on the other hand more than 90% of all energy use was oil based, as well. So, in order to decrease the pollution, the EU needed to find a new, reliable energy source, possibly on home territory to decrease the vulnerability due to the fluctuation of the oil prices and the supply of oil. That was the major drive behind the green agenda, with additional positive social impacts like decrease of premature deaths due to the pollution, a new field for the burst of innovation and the creation of a higher value. The EU was the first global power to push for a green vision. It still has a chance to be among the most influential global green powers, however, it will have to move from projects to organisational redesign. In order to lead, the EU needs a system approach with the commitment to some painful organisational changes along the way. 4. Covid Covid crisis is another example of a poor use of system science in problem solving, adding another dimension to the overall complexity of global relationships. On one hand it showed a strength and capacity to deliver on the global science community when focused on a common goal. Yet, it also showed how vulnerable multilateral global agreements and collaborations are in the face of immediate threat or provoked fear. The pandemic has revealed a dark side of many leaders, lacking the capacity to engage with citizens and respond to crises collectively, based on trust, transparency and overall well-being. I hope we have hear​t​ the lessons of the Covid crisis. These times are really calling upon every citizen to go deep into their hearts and hear the truth and the invitation to stand up for an open, inclusive, democratic world based on solidarity, collaboration and shared vision that could just possibly be a new civilisational paradigm[9]. The EU got trapped in a panic and fear at the beginning of crises, forgetting about the basic democratic principles, giving up on freedom of speech, the right for a second opinion. Political and scientific behaviour were no longer open for possible different approaches and explanations, for example, the impact of air conditioning on the spread of virus, how to protect the healthy, how to strengthen the natural immunity. It rather became a dogmatic approach to a crisis that nobody really understood. The EU is now in a unique position to take a holistic approach to pandemic management and build a resilient public health system which includes citizens in problem solving and effective response. The world will listen. 5. Space Space seems to be a new “wild west” territory, where billions of taxpayers and private money is being engaged with any global regulator overlooking the actions and negative externalities. As a consequence, space debris is rapidly becoming a serious problem, entrepreneurs and individual countries are passing laws to allow companies registered in their countries to mine asteroids and possibly planets in our galaxy. Nobody is monitoring what is happening to our stratosphere. In spite of the good intentions of space dreamers in the 20thcentury, countries have not signed a common declaration for space exploration and rather moved the completion to space. The focus is on business, exploitation, territorial possessions, but nothing about the socialisation and democratisation of space, shared vision, common action plan. I dare to speculate, that the technology as we know it today will not get us to other planets, nor will it make us immortal. We are yet to discover a new law of physics and see the unseen. However, we can say that people on Earth have already benefited largely from the knowledge and technologies being developed from space explorations: medicine, sensors, filters, food packaging, new materials, kitchen cloths, ect. The EU is finally repositioning itself in the space ecosystem. Our space agency along with a very strong entrepreneurial base has a capacity to influence the global space game, focusing on space explorations with intelligent instruments, strong data mining capacities and AI based simulation systems. Maybe we are the ones who will show a completely new way of travelling through the Universe. Another opportunity for a stronger autonomy yet integrated in a large open space with a strong global governing body that the EU can infuse. 6. Global repositioning of powers In the face of all these global trends we are also seeing the repositioning of global powers. I expect in the near future there will be between 7 to 10 players with a fairly balanced global influence. It seems that traditional relationships where partnerships were able to hold in good and bad, might no longer exist. More and more partnerships are based on content, specific interests, emerged opportunities and long-term visions. Global actors are present in different subgroups pursuing different interests and focus with different partners. A good question is if the countries can survive this race? Corporations are trying their best to bring the countries under their wings of global dominance. The core power struggle is around the essentials for life like food, water, energy, talents, territories. If countries fail to create strong partnerships and focus on their core mission which is creating well-being for their citizens, they could simply disappear in the face of history. The EU has an advantage there. With a broad network of citizens’ participation and constant efforts to bring as many as possible on board for a participatory discussion, the EU is laying the foundation for a more sustainable mass engagement and mass innovation. And that is precisely it’s largest asset: diversity and people. In the last 500 years the EU has been gaining its global influence with inventions, technologies, science, philosophy, literature, new visions and understandings. That is the spirit that the EU could represent – reinventing the future not to be squeezed only in the framework of new technologies, but rather in a new mind set, new vision of the world, influencing all levels of our existence based on multilateralism, inclusion and democratic values. Conclusion The EU is a great example of diversity at its core in a sense of culture, history, climate, language, religion, politics, tradition. It is a place where many different ethnic groups throughout history have been seeking a safe place to continue to develop their ethnic roots. Such diversity is a fruitful field for high-end and mass innovation. It is to this diversity that we should be thankful for our strong immune system and ability to grasp the emergence of new. Our diversity is our strength to develop solutions for the world as well. The described topics could be the ones where the EU can potentially seek a greater level of autonomy. There are many more areas, but I rather see them as a consequence than the source of autonomy, like finance, security, investments, artificial intelligence, etc. And as one pointed out, “strategic autonomy is not a magic wand but a process, a long-term one, intended to ensure that Europeans increasingly take charge of themselves. To defend our interests and values in an increasingly harsh world, a world that obliges us to rely on ourselves to guarantee our future.”[10]. Yet, I have to add one more time, autonomy does not mean isolation, so the previous sentence needs a continuation “… in a collaborative, democratic engagement with other countries and peoples of the planet Earth for the benefit of our future generation and of our own”. I have faith in the EU to find its role in the newly emerging world. As a promoter of democracy and hope it can evolve into a truly global soft power that is not endangering but rather fostering the world to thrive. [1] https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en/ [2] local, regional, global, planetary; brands, lifestyle, political parties, religions, and many more. [3] Nature 1 = forests, waters, meadows, mountains: Nature 2 = cities, Nature 3 = augmented/virtual reality [4] VUCA = Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous [5] RUPT = Rapid, Unpredictable, Paradoxical, Tangled [6] Post financial crisis, terrorism, refugees, Brexit, change in USA foreign policy, climate change, covid [7] https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/publications/chapters/the-global-state-of-democracy-2019-CH1.pdf [8] pay again [9] www.ecocivilisation.eu is a global movement observing the global trends from a societal point of view building a system of leverage points to be used for the evaluation of the civilizational cycle and possible moderation of the transition towards a new civilizational paradigm [10] https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/89865/why-european-strategic-autonomy-matters_en

East meets West Expert Series An Expert Roundtable organised by the Europe-Asia Centre, Brussels – June 2023 Global Gateway is the first EU connectivity strategy that aims at narrowing the global investment gap, estimated at 13 trillion Euros by 2040. Launched in December 2020 Global Gateway is to offer both a strategic framework and a normative-institutional model for practical cooperation in global infrastructure development based on clear principles, key areas, and dedicated sources of financing. With a global scope, Global Gateway is focusing on four regions, including Asia-Pacific, the other being Africa, Latin America, and the Western Balkans. This roundtable will discuss the objectives, interests, instruments, and capacities related to Global Gateway with regard to the EU’s relations with Asia. What are the key components of Global Gateway? How does the EU implement Global Gateway in the region? How can the EU work with its partners in the region and beyond to ensure coherence and alignment with the EU’s political and economic interests as well as its values? How does Global Gateway address the issue of unsustainable debt and unwanted dependencies, e.g., with regard to China? In how far do the existing Connectivity Partnerships of the EU with India and Japan contribute to the implementation of Global Gateway? What is the role of other like-minded partners, e.g., the Republic of Korea, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the USA? What are the key challenges and opportunities of Global Gateway and to what extent do they inhibit or increase the effectiveness of the strategy’s implementation? Participating high-level guests Ambassador (ret.) Piet Steel, Chairman of Europe-Asia Centre (Belgium) H.E. Ioannis Giogkarakis-Argyropoulos, Head of Division for Asia Pacific Regional Affairs and South Asia – European External Action Service (Greece) Ambassador Phạm Sanh Châu, Vice-chair of Europe-Asia Centre, Belgium and former Ambassador of Viet Nam to EU (Viet Nam) Participating experts Dr. Christiane Prange, Founder & Strategy director Cralan Global Institute, Professor Woxsen University, The Fletcher School – Tufts University, co-author of book ‘XICONOMICS’ (Germany) Roundtable moderator Mr Matic Gajsek, Deputy Director, Europe – Asia Center (Belgium)