The EU, China, and nontraditional security : prospects for Cooperation in the Mediterranean region

The Mediterranean is not just a sea of opportunities but also a testing ground for EU-China relations. Recent developments in the Chinese military doctrine have thus created a doctrinal common ground between China and the EU. On the one hand, promising opportunities are there for security cooperation between Brussels and Beijing, which may positively contribute to EU-Chinese relations at large. On the other hand, if these opportunities are to be seized, it is imperative that the EU spares no effort in behaving more cohesively and coherently. The implementation of a coherent Mediterranean policy would present the EU to China as a reliable partner, something China is desperately looking for as a solution to the strategic problem of how to protect its growing interests in the region without an organized military presence. This would open the way for security cooperation between the two actors to the benefit of both their own interests in the Mediterranean and regional stability as well.