A COMMON POSITION – A COMMON PREFERENCE? A study of different preferences among EU member states in the common trade policy with China

Abstract: The study focuses on national preferences in the supranational EU-Sino trade policy. It examines how EU member states might differ from the common EU position and from each other. By exploring the approaches of the EU and of member states, it aims to provide some valuable insights on the complexity of decision-making in trade policy with China and at the same time contribute to the theoretical debate on supranational vs. national policy-making within the EU. Through analysing official documents and policy statements of the EU and of four member states, namely France, Germany, Sweden and Poland, differences in views and approaches on the trade policy with China have been identified. A theoretical framework that incorporates both traditional and modern trade theory, IPE and rational choice contributes to explaining why preferences in EUSino trade policy are divergent. The empirical findings show a difference between the common preference and national preferences. Member states prioritise different issues and have diverging positions on the level of openness in EU-Sino trade. National preferences are driven by national interests. Trade intensity and comparative advantages or disadvantages with the trading partner as well as domestic forces are influential factors in forming national preferences.