ERBE 02 1 03
Portugal – China Geoeconomic Partnership: A Shot in the Dark?
JOSÉ PEDRO TEIXEIRA FERNANDES a, JOSÉ MAGANO b,c, RICHARD Q. TURCSANYI d, and ÂNGELA LEITE e
a Portuguese Institute for International Relations, Nova University of Lisbon (IPRI-Nova), Lisbon, Portugal; b Research Center in Business and Economics (CICEE), Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal; cISCET – Higher Institute of Business Sciences, Porto, Portugal; d Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic; e Center for Philosophical and Humanistic Studies, Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Portuguese Catholic University, Braga, Portugal.
To cite this article:
Fernandes, J. P. T., Magano, J., Turcsanyi, R. Q. & Leite, Â.. 2022. Portuga – China Relations: A Shot in the Dark?. European Review of Business Economics II(2): 47-71.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26619/ERBE-2022.2.1.3
Received: 4 November 2022. Accepted 5 November 2022. Published: 31 December 2022
Language: English
Abstract
China has become a hotly debated political topic in Europe and has also attracted significant public attention. However, despite historical relations between Portugal and China and the significant economic investment China has made in Portugal in recent years, no study has been carried out concerning Portuguese public opinion on China. Following up on earlier studies in other European countries, this paper reports and examines the results of a survey held in Portugal, revealing that Portuguese public opinion is generally more suspicious and critical of China than Portuguese government policies suggest.
Keywords
China; Portugal; United States; Europe; Russia; Public opinion.
Baldwin, R., & Freeman, R. (2020). Trade conflict in the age of Covid-19. https://voxeu.org/article/trade-conflict-age-covid-19
Chow, W., Han, E., & Li, X. (2019). Brexit identities and British public opinion on China. International Affairs, 95(6), 1369-1387. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiz191
Esteban, M., & Otero-Iglesias, M. (2020). Europe in the Face of US-China Rivalry. http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/wcm/connect/82e36c36-03a1-40f2-81a0-9a78ea6dfa95/ETNC-Europe-in-the-face-of-US-China-rivalry.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=82e36c36-03a1-40f2-81a0-9a78ea6dfa95
Federl, P. (2018). The instrumental use of Zheng He’s travels in official Sino-African relations’ discourse. Asiadémica: revista universitaria de estudios sobre Asia Oriental, 11, 58-77. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/6256886.pdf
Fernandes, J. P. T. (2020a). Chinese economic diplomacy regarding Portugal: promoting business or concealing geopolitical ambitions? International Politics, 1-19. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1057/s41311-020-00218-8 (10.1057/s41311-020-00218-8)
Fernandes, J. P. T. (2020b). Siren song: Chinese economic diplomacy regarding Portugal (the case of the energy sector). Journal of Public Affairs, e2203. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2203
Fox, J., & Godement, F. (2009). A power audit of EU-China relations (12). https://ecfr.eu/wp-content/uploads/ECFR12_-A_POWER_AUDIT_OF_EU-CHINA_RELATIONS.pdf Gallup. (2020). China.
Gallup. (2020). China. Gallup. Retrieved 8-02-2021 from https://news.gallup.com/poll/1627/China.aspx
Godement, F., Parello-Plesner, J., & Richard, A. (2011). The Scramble for Europe (37). https://ecfr.eu/wp-content/uploads/ECFR37_Scramble_For_Europe_AW_v4.pdf
Godement, F., & Vasselier, A. (2007). A New Power Audit of EU-China Relations. https://ecfr.eu/wp-content/uploads/China_Power_Audit.pdf
Goldstein, A. (2020). US–China Rivalry in the twenty-first century: Déjà vu and Cold War II. China International Strategy Review, 2, 48-62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42533-020-00036-w
Huang, J., Cook, G., & Xie, Y. (2020). Do Mass Media Shape Public Opinion toward China? Quantitative Evidence on New York Times with Deep Learning https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/c7fhp
Jacoby, W. (2014). Different cases, different faces: Chinese investment in Central and Eastern Europe. Asia Europe Journal, 12(1-2), 199-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-014-0380-z
Jerdén, B., Rühlig, T., Seaman, J., & Turcsányi, R. Q. (2021). Chinese Public Diplomacy and European Public Opinion during COVID-19. China Review, 21(2), 5-34.
Kao, C.-C. (2020). The EU’s FDI Screening Proposal – Can It Really Work? European Review, 28(2), 173-184. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1062798719000395
Kim, S. Y., Meunier, S., & Nyiri, Z. (2017). Yin and yank? Public opinion in Europe toward the US and China. Comparative European Politics, 15(4), 577-603. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41295-016-0005-6
Matias, A. (2007). Imagens e estereótipos da sociedade portuguesa sobre a comunidade chinesa. Interacção multissecular via Macau ISCTE]. Lisboa. http://hdl.handle.net/10071/1270
Mendes, C. A. (2013). Portugal, China and the Macau negotiations, 1986-1999 (Vol. 1). Hong Kong University Press.
Moteff, J. (2010). Critical infrastructures: Background, policy, and implementation. Congressional Research Service.
Moteff, J., Copeland, C., & Fischer, J. (2003). Critical infrastructures: What makes an infrastructure critical? https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA467306.pdf
Pew Research Center. (2020). Unfavorable Views of China Reach Historic Highs in Many Countries. Pew Global. Retrieved 2021-02-08 from https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/10/06/unfavorable-views-of-china-reach-historic-highs-in-many-countries/
Ramos, J. D. (2016). Em torno da China: Memórias diplomáticas. Caleidoscópio.
República Portuguesa-Portal Diplomático. (2021). República Popular da China. Retrieved 12-08-2021 from https://www.portaldiplomatico.mne.gov.pt/relacoesbilaterais/historia-diplomatica?view=article&id=325:republica-popular-da-china&catid=119:relacoes-diplomaticasrepublica-popular-da-china
Rodrigues, C. (2016). Portugal and OBOR: Welcoming, but Lacking a Strategy in Europe and China’s New Silk Roads (Chinese Investment in Europe. A Country-Level Approach, Issue. https://www.clingendael.org/publication/europe-and-chinas-new-silk-roads
Baldwin, R., & Freeman, R. (2020). Trade conflict in the age of Covid-19. https://voxeu.org/article/trade-conflict-age-covid-19
Chow, W., Han, E., & Li, X. (2019). Brexit identities and British public opinion on China. International Affairs, 95(6), 1369-1387. https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiz191
Esteban, M., & Otero-Iglesias, M. (2020). Europe in the Face of US-China Rivalry. http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/wcm/connect/82e36c36-03a1-40f2-81a0-9a78ea6dfa95/ETNC-Europe-in-the-face-of-US-China-rivalry.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=82e36c36-03a1-40f2-81a0-9a78ea6dfa95
Federl, P. (2018). The instrumental use of Zheng He’s travels in official Sino-African relations’ discourse. Asiadémica: revista universitaria de estudios sobre Asia Oriental, 11, 58-77. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/6256886.pdf
Fernandes, J. P. T. (2020a). Chinese economic diplomacy regarding Portugal: promoting business or concealing geopolitical ambitions? International Politics, 1-19. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1057/s41311-020-00218-8 (10.1057/s41311-020-00218-8)
Fernandes, J. P. T. (2020b). Siren song: Chinese economic diplomacy regarding Portugal (the case of the energy sector). Journal of Public Affairs, e2203. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2203
Fox, J., & Godement, F. (2009). A power audit of EU-China relations (12). https://ecfr.eu/wp-content/uploads/ECFR12_-_A_POWER_AUDIT_OF_EU-CHINA_RELATIONS.pdf
Gallup. (2020). China. Gallup. Retrieved 8-02-2021 from https://news.gallup.com/poll/1627/China.aspx
Godement, F., Parello-Plesner, J., & Richard, A. (2011). The Scramble for Europe (37). https://ecfr.eu/wp-content/uploads/ECFR37_Scramble_For_Europe_AW_v4.pdf
Godement, F., & Vasselier, A. (2007). A New Power Audit of EU-China Relations. https://ecfr.eu/wp-content/uploads/China_Power_Audit.pdf
Goldstein, A. (2020). US–China Rivalry in the twenty-first century: Déjà vu and Cold War II. China International Strategy Review, 2, 48-62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42533-020-00036-w
Huang, J., Cook, G., & Xie, Y. (2020). Do Mass Media Shape Public Opinion toward China? Quantitative Evidence on New York Times with Deep Learning https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/c7fhp
Jacoby, W. (2014). Different cases, different faces: Chinese investment in Central and Eastern Europe. Asia Europe Journal, 12(1-2), 199-214. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10308-014-0380-z
Jerdén, B., Rühlig, T., Seaman, J., & Turcsányi, R. Q. (2021). Chinese Public Diplomacy and European Public Opinion during COVID-19. China Review, 21(2), 5-34.
Kao, C.-C. (2020). The EU’s FDI Screening Proposal – Can It Really Work? European Review, 28(2), 173-184. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1062798719000395
Kim, S. Y., Meunier, S., & Nyiri, Z. (2017). Yin and yank? Public opinion in Europe toward the US and China. Comparative European Politics, 15(4), 577-603. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41295-016-0005-6
Matias, A. (2007). Imagens e estereótipos da sociedade portuguesa sobre a comunidade chinesa. Interacção multissecular via Macau ISCTE]. Lisboa. http://hdl.handle.net/10071/1270
Mendes, C. A. (2013). Portugal, China and the Macau negotiations, 1986-1999 (Vol. 1). Hong Kong University Press.
Moteff, J. (2010). Critical infrastructures: Background, policy, and implementation. Congressional Research Service.
Moteff, J., Copeland, C., & Fischer, J. (2003). Critical infrastructures: What makes an infrastructure critical? https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA467306.pdf
Pew Research Center. (2020). Unfavorable Views of China Reach Historic Highs in Many Countries. Pew Global. Retrieved 2021-02-08 from https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/10/06/unfavorable-views-of-china-reach-historic-highs-in-many-countries/
Ramos, J. D. (2016). Em torno da China: Memórias diplomáticas. Caleidoscópio.
República Portuguesa-Portal Diplomático. (2021). República Popular da China. Retrieved 12-08-2021 from https://www.portaldiplomatico.mne.gov.pt/relacoesbilaterais/historia-diplomatica?view=article&id=325:republica-popular-da-china&catid=119:relacoes-diplomaticasrepublica-popular-da-china
Rodrigues, C. (2016). Portugal and OBOR: Welcoming, but Lacking a Strategy in Europe and China’s New Silk Roads (Chinese Investment in Europe. A Country-Level Approach, Issue. https://www.clingendael.org/publication/europe-and-chinas-new-silk-roads
Rodrigues, C. (2017). Chinese investment in Portugal: Gaining access to cutting-edge knowledge and extending global influence (Chinese Investment in Europe A Country-Level Approach, Issue. https://www.clingendael.org/sites/default/files/2017-12/ETNC_Report_2017.PDF
Rodrigues, C. (2020). “Everything is worthwhile, if the soul is not small” — relations with China amid Covid-19 (Covid-19 and Europe-China Relations. A Country-Level Approach, Issue. https://www.clingendael.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/Report_ETNC_Chinas_Soft_Power_in_Europe_Falling_on_Hard_Times_2021.pdf
Rodrigues, C. (2021). Portugal–China: passions and interests crafting ‘special’ relations? https://www.ifri.org/sites/default/files/atoms/files/etnc_2021_-chinas_soft_power_in_europe-_falling_on_hard_times.pdf
Rogers, D., Wong, A., & Nelson, J. (2017). Public perceptions of foreign and Chinese real estate investment: intercultural relations in Global Sydney. Australian Geographer, 48(4), 437-455. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049182.2017.1317050
Rühlig, T., Jerdén, B. r., Turcsányi, R., Sedláková, R. t., Šimalčík, M., & Kironská, K. (2020). What Do Swedes Think about China? Insights from an Extensive Survey of Swedish Public Opinion of China. https://www.ui.se/globalassets/ui.se-eng/publications/ui-publications/2020/ui-paper-no.-8-2020.pdf
Saner, R., & Yiu, L. (2006). International economic diplomacy: Mutations in post-modern times. https://www.clingendael.org/sites/default/files/2016-02/20030100_cli_paper_dip_issue84.pdf
Scott, D. (2008). China and the international system, 1840-1949: power, presence, and perceptions in a century of humiliation. Suny Press.
Silver, A., & Cyranoski, D. (2020). China is tightening its grip on coronavirus research. Nature, 580(7804), 439-440. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01108-y
Summers, T. (2018). The politics of EU–China economic relations: an uneasy partnership; China, the European Union, and the international politics of global governance. 94(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iix254
The German Marshall Fund of the United States. (2020). Transatlantic Trends 2020. Transatlantic opinion on global challenges before and after COVID-19. https://www.gmfus.org/publications/transatlantic-trends-2020
Turcsányi, R., Šimalčík, M., Kironská, K., Sedláková, R. t., Čeněk, J. í., Findor, A., Buchel, O., Hruška, M., Brona, A., & Bērziņa-Čerenkova, U. A. (2020). European public opinion on China in the age of COVID-19: Differences and common ground across the continent. Retrieved 27-02-2021 from https://sinofon.cz/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/COMP-poll-final.pdf
Vicentini, G., & Galanti, M. T. (2021). Italy, the Sick Man of Europe: Policy Response, Experts and Public Opinion in the First Phase of Covid-19. South European Society and Politics, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/13608746.2021.1940582
Wise, P. (2020, 20 January). Lisbon rebuffs claims Portugal is China’s ‘special friend’ in EU. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/862c633e-393b-11ea-a6d3-9a26f8c3cba4
Zuokui, L. (2017). The Europeans’ Perception of China. In H. Zhou (Ed.), China-EU Relations: Reassessing the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (pp. 201-226). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1145-0_11
