This year marks the 40th anniversary of EU-China diplomatic relations, a relationship that today is one of the world’s most important bilateral partnerships. In this publication, the authors sheds light on this strategic partnership by, among other things, analysing the underlying differences between the two actors in regard to their respective views on sovereignty, power, and foreign policy.

The Eastern Partnership (EaP) was launched in May this year as a strengthened policy framework between the European Union and six countries in Eastern Europe and southern Caucasus. The overall aim of the partnership is to ensure stability and prosperity in a region that is characterized by stalled socio-economic and democratic reforms as well as ethnic tension and even armed conflict.

When changes to the Lisbon Treaty are discussed it is often mentioned of the more forceful formulation in the area of EU external actions and the new posts created within the EU's institutional structure that is expected to lead to greater coherence. An equally important but less noticed policy that has also been written into the Treaty is that of consistency between internal and external policies.