WT43 – Relations with other regions of the world

In partnership with :

Sciences Po Grenoble : www-sciences-po.upmf-grenoble.fr
École de la paix : www.ecoledelapaix.org/
Région Rhône Alpes : www.rhonealpes.fr/
Ville de Grenoble (City of Grenoble) : www.rhonealpes.fr/

Workshop Presentation

Today, the international order, embodied by the United Nations (UN) is founded exclusively on the relationship between states. But this system is not viable in the long run. States are both too numerous and too different from one another to enable negotiation between them to make sense and, in reality, international life is dominated by a small number of large geopolitical groups.

While a considerable part of economic life is structured on an international scale by transnational companies, the fact remains that more globally, relationships tend to be established between regions of the world and each regional group tries to forge more or less special relations with other regions, in their search for natural resources, technologies, labour or markets.

The search for a relationship of trust, complementarity and solidarity between China and Europe is therefore part of a much wider issue of the future organisation of relationships between regions of the world. China and Europe are not on an island. Their relationship is also part of the mutual relationships that each of them has with the United States. China is now investing hugely in Africa where it is competing with the influence of the former European colonial powers.

India is setting off down the road towards rapid economic development and will have to redefine its relations with China and with Europe. The centre of gravity of the world economy seems to be moving irresistibly from the Atlantic to the Pacific, opening up new prospects for development in the relations between China and Latin America. Japan is going to be pulled between its position in the club of developed countries and the relations with China imposed on it by geography and history. The ASEAN countries (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) which are not very integrated economically and politically are going to have to take up a position with regards to China and India. Can a model of harmonious economic and political relations be conceived between regions of the world? Can the dialogue between Chinese and European societies symbolised by the China–Europa Forum be a prototype for a more general model? These are some of the questions that the workshop must strive to look at closely.