China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI): An Emerging Global Integration?
Luke Amadi
Department of Political & Administrative Studies University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Abstract
This paper seeks to explore the potentials as well as challenges of China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) in the context of an emerging ‘global integration’ debate. It aims to identify and discuss how the CAI remains a potential tie in accelerating economic growth between China and the EU. The paper adopts a desk review methodology, drawing on global integration framework to analyze some of the fundamental relevance of the CAI. Alternatively, it argues that the CAI should be strengthened to reinforce bilateral ties in the era of declining multilateralism and offers new insights on the CAI and how it can strengthen mutually beneficial economic growth and international cooperation between China and the EU. The paper provides evidence that expands knowledge on the potentials of the CAI in the context of global integration and in particular, corroborates policymakers’ concerns regarding institutional efficiency and the role of the CAI in fostering economic growth and development. Findings suggest that the CAI could strengthen sustainable development by building institutions (SDG 16.4) and domestic and global revenue mobilization (SDG 17.1). The study identifies and discusses knowledge gaps and sets guidance for future research.
Keywords: The CAI, Global integration, Multilateralism, Development, the EU, China