‘Good governance’ and the role of civil society organisations in reform processes and EU–China diplomatic relations

The Emergence of Citizen Diplomacy in European Union–China Relations: Principles, Pillars, Pioneers, Paradoxes

“…3 However, a sustainable partnership between Europe and China needs to go beyond commercial and geopolitical interests of their respective governments and requires the strengthening of civil society exchanges and collaborative people-to-people relations. 4 Light needs shedding on the under researched phenomenon of European citizens who have-consciously or not-put the idea of citizen diplomacy into practice. Citizen diplomacy means an alternative problem-solving strategy underpinning the role that non-state actors may play in mitigating difficult interstate relations and helping resolve deep-rooted conflicts that political leaders and the private sector cannot solve alone.…”