China views Brexit: the impacts of the UKs withdrawal from the European Union in Chinese eyes

Abstract

While many have assessed the impacts of Brexit on the UK and EU, few have evaluated those on China, an emerging global power that matters for both the UK and EU in the post-Brexit era. A handful of exceptions focus exclusively on the impacts of Brexit on China-EU relations. In this chapter, we seek to offer a broader assessment of how Brexit affects China by taking more Chinese sources into account. Through a detailed analysis of official statements, media reports and scholarly analyses published in Chinese, we find that Chinese assessments of Brexit's impacts mainly concentrate on four aspects. First, on the UK, China views that Brexit will have negative impacts on the UK's outlook, economy, party politics, and international influence. Second, on China-UK relations, China views that Brexit poses both opportunities and challenges to its political and economic relationship with the UK. Third, on China-EU relations, China views that Brexit will undermine the strategic, political and economic dimension of the bilateral relationship. Fourth, on 'great power relations', China views that Brexit will have impacts on such 'great power relations' as UK-US relations, UK-Japan relations and UK/EU-Russia relations. These relations will also affect China's 'strategic environment'.