In Brief: Dr Eva Seiwert, our new Associate Editor
IN BRIEF: DR EVA SEIWERT, OUR NEW ASSOCIATE EDITOR
IN BRIEF: DR EVA SEIWERT, OUR NEW ASSOCIATE EDITOR
6 August 2021
As we continue to grow during our second year of operations, 9DL is pleased to announce that Dr Eva Seiwert joins as our new Associate Editor. Our Editor-in-Chief, Dr Manali Kumar, recently sat down with Dr Seiwert to discuss a range of topics including her current research and plans to help take the platform forward.
MK: You recently completed your PhD from the Freie Universität Berlin. Could you tell us a little bit about your research and your journey to this point?
ES: I have been fascinated with China ever since I can remember and, after taking my A levels, decided to pursue a BA in Chinese Studies in my hometown Leipzig. I visited China for the first time during my second semester, to take intensive language lessons in Hangzhou; travelling the country piqued my interest in its western regions. Over time, I have lived in China for about three years; I travelled to Tibet in 2010, spent time in Sichuan and Yunnan in 2012, and spent a semester at Lanzhou University. A road trip from China to Kyrgyzstan through Xinjiang left me with an incredible fascination for Central Asia and led me to develop a clear research focus on China’s foreign policy in this region.
The MSc in East Asian Relations at the University of Edinburgh was the perfect programme to pursue this interest further, and I started researching China-Russia-Central Asia relations more extensively. Naturally, it was no long way to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) from there. I was both puzzled and intrigued by the fact that the largest regional organisation worldwide was almost unknown in the West. At a time when ‘China’s rise’ is arguably one of the hottest topics in international politics, I wondered why hardly anyone (in the West) was taking the SCO — as the first-ever Chinese-initiated multilateral organisation — seriously. Thus, my PhD research at the Graduate School of East Asian Studies (GEAS) at Freie Universität Berlin was driven by the desire to understand the SCO’s role in China’s larger strategy of shaping the international order. In my thesis, I conducted a qualitative analysis of over 400 original Chinese-language documents and semi-structured interviews with experts in China to understand how the Chinese government uses a self-created regional organisation to influence global norms.
MK: Your research sounds fascinating. What drew you to this topic and what’s next in store for you?
ES: Reading the available literature on the SCO, I never quite understood why most (Western) observers trivialised the regional organisation as unimportant, mainly on the grounds of its supposed inefficiency in security or economic cooperation, when analysis of primary sources evinced a considerable degree of political cooperation amongst the member states, including on the international level. It became clear to me that, while the SCO may not be the most efficient organisation in terms of solving on-the-ground issues, it still appears to play a significant role in the Chinese government’s struggle to promote its norms and concepts internationally. Exemplary cases for this are the organisation’s institutionalisation of the ‘three evils’ of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, or of Xi Jinping’s flagship concept of a ‘Community of Common Destiny’. I believe that more focus should be directed to these subtle ways in which the Chinese government is shaping global norms and that China’s newly created multilateral institutions should not be overlooked in this regard.
My postdoctoral research at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg starting this month offers an ideal opportunity to further explore China’s global ambitions vis-à-vis international norms. I am excited to be part of a close-knit group of researchers from FAU and King’s College London investigating questions of academic freedom and globalised scholarship in the context of the rise of an authoritarian China. The possibility of contributing to generating much-needed insights and solutions on the increasingly pressing issues of countering threats to academic freedom — especially at a time when the Chinese government is sanctioning European academics and think tanks — is a great motivation for me.
MK: In recent years China’s role in (re)shaping international norms and institutions has developed significant momentum; just how far do you see Beijing’s influence extending?
ES: Beijing is actively working on increasing its global influence, including in institutions such as the UNHRC. Recent reports alleging that the Chinese government pressured Ukraine to drop its signature from a Xinjiang-related international statement in exchange for COVID-vaccines are just one of many examples illustrating why this is troublesome. On the other hand, it is also true that Western countries — above all the United States — have long dominated global institutions and are not always willing to reform multilateral organisations in ways that would make them fairer to all member states.
I believe that Beijing is somewhat profiting from (some) Western governments’ unwillingness to give up their privileged positions in existing institutions, as this makes Chinese ‘alternative’ frameworks more attractive to other states fed up with existing institutions’ unfair conditions. While many governments accept Chinese norms and concepts such as the ‘Community of Common Destiny’ or the ‘New Type of International Relations’ for strategic purposes only, the institutionalisation of such ideas and their underlying norms in more and more documents does still increase China’s global influence. Thus, Beijing’s ability to extend its international influence, amongst other factors, also depends on Western states’ willingness and ability to make their own (existing and new) institutions more attractive again.
MK: Germany (and Europe) will soon bid farewell to Angela Merkel. At this juncture how do you view Sino-German relations and what does it tell us about the future for Europe and China.
ES: In no other German election has the topic of China played as significant a role as in this one. This is, of course, not surprising given China’s increasing international importance. However, it is conspicuous that all major German parties include explicit statements on their China policy in their election manifestos. While China will continue to be treated as “a partner, competitor and rival”, voices critical of Merkel’s rather friendly China policy have become louder in recent months already, especially since China imposed sanctions on European institutions and individuals, including members of the European Parliament and academics, in March 2021. This trend will most likely continue, but at the same time, China will remain one of Germany’s most important trading partners.
The four parties most likely to become part of a future government (CDU/CSU, SPD, Greens, FDP) all call for a European China policy. Thus, we can expect to see the next German government more engaged in finding European solutions to future challenges concerning China. If the Greens or the FDP become part of the government, a more confrontational approach to China’s human rights issues can also be expected than the current coalition between CDU/CSU and SPD.
MK: And finally, you’re joining 9DL during what is proving to be a busy second year of operations. What drew you to the platform and is there anything particular you are looking forward to?
ES: I have been following 9DASHLINE ever since its launch last year and, besides the enormous relevance of the topics treated, I have especially admired the high quality of its content. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to work with the editorial team as a contributor and was struck by the thorough and on-point feedback, which helped me immensely improve my writing. The team’s commitment to providing such careful editing is particularly beneficial to early-career researchers, and I love that 9DASHLINE offers space for both emerging analysts and established experts to share their insights on issues related to the Indo-Pacific.
I am excited to be working with such a dedicated team as well as with so many insightful contributors from across the world. As the platform looks forward to its third year of operations, I am also particularly looking forward to developing special series of articles around issues that tend to get less attention but are no less important, such as the evolution and relevance of international institutions and understanding Europe’s approach towards the Indo-Pacific. Finally, I think the platform’s ambition to help connect Europe with the Indo-Pacific is timely and I look forward to helping 9DASHLINE develop partnerships with other similarly minded organisations in Germany.
Biography
Dr Eva Seiwert is Associate Editor at 9DASHLINE — she tweets at @evaseiwert.