Talking Human Rights to China: An Assessment of the EU's Approach

Abstract

A human rights dialogue between the European Union and China has been going on since 1995. It runs on three tracks and includes a diplomatic level, expert seminars and technical co-operation projects. The three levels are supposed to interact with and benefit from each other. This article focuses on the conduct of the dialogue and the interaction between the three levels, and aims to investigate the merits and obstacles of the set-up. It also discusses how the dynamic of this interaction affects the collaboration between European and Chinese human rights experts. The conclusion is that the dialogue's three-tiered set-up is counterproductive and the aims of the two sides are too different to fully attain the envisaged goals.

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