Strategic Narrative Divergence : The Evolving Narratives of the EU and China on Global Security amid the Ukraine War

Lóránt, Szabolcs (2025) Strategic Narrative Divergence : The Evolving Narratives of the EU and China on Global Security amid the Ukraine War. EURÓPAI TÜKÖR: AZ INTEGRÁCIÓS STRATÉGIAI MUNKACSOPORT KÉTHAVONTA MEGJELENŐ FOLYÓIRATA, 27 (4). pp. 35-56. ISSN 1416-6151

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Abstract

This article examines how the Russia–Ukraine conflict has influenced the strategic narratives of the European Union and China, transforming their discursive approaches to global security and international order. Drawing on constructivist theoretical framework, the study analyses official statements, policy documents, and diplomatic communications from 2022 through 2024 to demonstrate how both actors have recalibrated their narratives in response to the changing geopolitical landscape. The findings reveal that while the EU has shifted towards a more securitised narrative framework, emphasising territorial integrity and collective defence, China has maintained strategic ambiguity while promoting alternative governance paradigms. The analysis identifies three key developments: the intensification of narrative divergence between the EU and China, structural changes in their diplomatic alignments, and the emergence of competing visions for global governance. These evolving narratives have significant implications for international relations, suggesting an acceleration of bloc politics, technological decoupling, and competing economic frameworks. The study also highlights a fundamental tension between the EU’s traditional self-conception as a normative power and contemporary geopolitical realities, particularly as it adapts to new security imperatives while maintaining its commitment to democratic principles. These findings contribute to our understanding of how strategic narratives not only reflect but actively constitute international relations and influence the evolution of global order in an increasingly multipolar world.

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