Key points from my article in The Conversation. My research highlights failure to promote EU values by @EU_EEAS & @EU_Commission officials implementing EU-China diplomatic dialogues. This culture of complacency & self-censorship needs urgent attention 1/11 https://theconversation.com/china-eu-relations-self-censorship-by-eu-diplomats-is-commonplace-138181

Recent incidents where the EU reportedly bowed to pressure from China to censor criticism of China and its role in the COVID-19 pandemic have attracted outrage. However, such dynamics are not merely rare errors of judgement, but commonplace in EU-China diplomacy. 2/11

Through Article 21 of the Lisbon Treaty, @EU_EEAS & @EU_Commission officials have a constitutional obligation to share EU values in practice. They are expected to engage in active & purposeful actions to promote or ‘mainstream’ the EU’s values with third countries like China 3/11

Conflicting with the EU’s own constitutional standards, extensive interviews with @EU_EEAS & @EU_Commission officials implementing EU-China diplomatic dialogues, revealed that the promotion of EU values was overwhelmingly absent from the diverse (60+) annual meetings. 4/11

The most prominent justification by EU officials for avoiding the promotion of EU values in their meetings related to a fear of upsetting Chinese diplomats. Concerns about immediate consequences from counterparts resulted in a narrow focus on their specific policy sector. 5/11

Some @EU_EEAS & @EU_Commission officials also framed the promotion of EU values with China as pointless. Low-ranking and opaque Chinese counterparts were considered unable to influence China’s policies in these areas. 6/11

A large number of @EU_EEAS and @EU_Commission officials also thought promoting EU values was implicit to their dialogues and required no further action. 7/11

Many EU officials viewed promoting values as simply irrelevant to their dialogues & instead the responsibility of specific dialogues, like the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue. This division of labour = countless missed opportunities to assert EU values with China. 8/11

In the few dialogues where EU values were promoted, notably the human rights dialogue, it appeared to be approached ineffectively. @EU_EEAS diplomats lacked reflectiveness about ‘how’ they were engaging with China. Effective EU value promotion also needs to be self-critical. 9/11

In failing to assert its values, the EU’s silence could be mistaken for an acceptance or even legitimisation of China’s policies in areas such as human rights. Meanwhile, China's extending international influence is actively challenging the universality of EU values. 10/11

The EU needs to carefully consider the (high) costs of its current complacency & self-censorship with China. Urgent reform of EU-China diplomacy is necessary @JosepBorrellF, @vonderleyen and @CharlesMichel. /END