Resolution in China: Towards Culturally Matching Procedures

The EU-enlargement to a group of 27 member states in 2007 has increased the EU’s global political and economical significance and its potential to exert strategic weight in international diplomacy. This has an impact on negotiations in EU-China relations. The Union’s negotiation position vis-à-vis the Chinese partner is stronger than ever. At the same time, the Chinese increasingly recognise the dimension of the European culture—as complex as it is. This new situation for both sides gives reason to a closer look on negotiation and dispute resolution between Europe and China. Inherently, negotiations on economical and political issues in EU-China relations are complex enough. What makes things even more challenging is the precarious cross-cultural divergence on how to negotiate and resolve disputes: How to lead negotiations when the parties ` procedural preferences significantly differ from each other? There is no self-evident mutual consent on premises, procedures and norms in negotiation and dispute resolution between Europ