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The Economies of the European Union and China

Code: 42661 ECTS Credits: 15
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
European Union-China: Culture and Economy OB 0

Contact

Name:
Didac Cubeiro Rodriguez
Email:
didac.cubeiro@uab.cat

Teachers

Didac Cubeiro Rodriguez
Francesc Romagosa Casals
Carmen Estevez Martinez
(External) Josep Manel Brañas

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of economy


Objectives and Contextualisation

Introduce students to different aspects of the economy of China and the European Union.

With regard to China, issues such as reforms in the Chinese economy after the death of Mao, Chinese domestic and foreign trade, presence in world markets and future prospects of the Chinese economy.

A vision of the economic relations between the European Union and China and the bilateral agreements that govern them will also be offered.

With regard to the European Union, a story of the evolution of the main features of the European economy after World War II is presented with special attention to the process of regional economic integration (European Economic Community, European Union and Economic and Monetary Union). The basic features of the Spanish economy are also given special attention to the structural elements and emphasizing the current economic situation.

Likewise, the student will be introduced to the management of tourism in the European Union for the Chinese market and vice versa explaining the importance that this has in the economy.


Competences

  • Analyse the economic, social and cultural characteristics of the current-day European Union and China and be able to interpret the changes that both have undergone.
  • Analyse the impact of the interrelation between the development of China's emerging economy and the EU's model for economic development.
  • Carry out team work in interdisciplinary and multicultural environments.
  • Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
  • Make creative and original contributions in distinct fields, demonstrating an attitude of respect towards the opinions, values, behaviour and practices of others.
  • Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Carry out team work in interdisciplinary and multicultural environments.
  2. Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
  3. Distinguish the impact of Chinese economic development on the economic sphere of the European Union.
  4. Evaluate the role of Chinese economic development within international economic relations in the 21st century.
  5. Identify the differentiating features in the cultural expressions of the European Union and China.
  6. Interpret changes in the economic structures undergone by these two regions in the first decade of the 21st century and the main trends in economic models to be developed over the next decade.
  7. Interpret the models of economic development models in the two regions.
  8. Make creative and original contributions in distinct fields, demonstrating an attitude of respect towards the opinions, values, behaviour and practices of others.
  9. Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.

Content

Economic relations between the EU and China

    Economy and Social Relations
    Economic relations EU - China. Bilateral agreements that govern them
    The international interrelations between the economic variables
    Possible aspects to investigate on Foreign Trade and Investments between Spain-EU-China.

 Tourism Management of the European Union

    Basic elements of tourist management [definition of the UNWTO, elements that make up the tourist structure, tourist supply and demand, tourist resources,]
    Analysis of the situation of international tourism. Impacts of economic, social and environmental tourism
    Tourist policy and tourism management of destinations.

Economy of China

    Economic growth in East Asia during the last half century. Why do economies grow?
    The reforms in the Chinese economy after the death of Mao.
    Chinese domestic and foreign trade.
    Second phase of reforms in the Chinese economy
    Globalization, China and world markets.
    The future of the Chinese economy.

Economy of the EU

    Europe to World War II (1939-1945)
    The reconstruction period (1945-1951): Cold War, Marshall Plan, ...
    The period of exceptional growth 1951-1973
    European integration: from the ECSC to the EEC
    The economic crisis of the seventy (1973-1985)
    The economic recovery, 1986-2008
    Europe and the end of the cold war
    The European Union: enlargement and deepening
    The economic crisis in Europe: 2008-
 

Economy of Spain

    The basic characteristics of the Spanish economy and the macroeconomic indicators.
    The stages of the Spanish economy.
    Integration into the EU and its impact on the Spanish economy: tariff disarmament, structural funds, CAP, etc.
    The euro and the economic boom
    The differential character of the crisis in Spain (2008-14)


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Seminars and face-to-face classes. Debates and exhibitions 75 3 3, 5, 6, 7, 2, 9
Type: Supervised      
Exercises for readings, correction of exercises and resolution of doubts, face-to-face and online tutoring 25 1 3, 8, 5, 6, 7, 2, 1, 4
Type: Autonomous      
Reading and working on articles, books and texts, preparation of activities, and reading comprehension and acquisition. Search for information. 125 5 3, 8, 5, 6, 7, 2, 9, 1, 4

    Master classes / exhibitions
     Case resolution classes
     Discussions
     Seminars
     Presentation / oral presentation of works
     Reading articles / books / reports of interest
     On-line tutorials
     Carrying out individual works
     Possible visits to entities or companies

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Delivery of reports / individual works 25% 50 2 8, 5, 6, 2, 9, 1
Delivery of reports / work in groups. 25% 50 2 8, 1
Final exam 40% 12.5 0.5 3, 5, 6, 7, 2, 9, 4
Individual oral presentations in class 10% 37.5 1.5 3, 8, 5, 6, 7, 2, 9, 1, 4

 This module does not have a second call, but there is a second chance if the final grade is between 4.0 to 4.9 according to the UAB regulations.


 The qualification will be NOT AVALUABLE when the student has not been presented to 75% of the evaluable activities.

 According to the regulations approved by the Academic Management Committee of the FTI, and ratified by the Board of Faculty on June 9, 2010, the subject can only be recovered in the following cases:

 - When, in a justified way, the student has not been presented to 25-30% of the activities evaluable;

- When the final grade, including the mark for the key competency of the subject, prior to the minutes is between 4.0 and 4.9.

 
In both cases the student will be presented exclusively to activities or tests not presented or suspended.

 
The proof of suspended evidence for copying or plagiarism is excluded from the recovery of the note.

 
In no case may a note be recovered by means of a final test equivalent to 100% of the note.

 In the event that there are several irregularities in the evaluation activities of the same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0. The proof of suspension of the evidence suspended for copying or plagiarism will be excluded. It is considered as a "copy" a work that reproduces all or most of the work of one or more partners, and as "plagiarism" the fact of presenting a part or a whole text of an author as its own , that is to say, without mentioning the sources, it is published on paper or in digital form on the Internet. Copying and plagiarism are intellectual robberies and, therefore, they constitute a fault that will be punished with the "zero" note. In the case of a copy between two students, if it is not possible to know who copied who, the two students will be punished.

NOTE: This moduledoes not apply the sigle assessment system.


Bibliography

  • Brunet, F, Curso de Integración Europea, Alianza Editorial, 2014
  • Debroux P., Tselichtchev I., (2009), Asia’s Turning Point. An Introduction to Asia’s Dynamic Economies at the Dawn of the New Century,  Wiley, Singapore
  • Fontaine, P. "Europe in 12 lessons", European Commission, 2011, available at https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/20691fde-ea17-4c58-bb7a-6aeb23024a84
  • Garcia Delgado, J.L  Lecciones de Economía Española, Editorial: Civitas.2013
  • Gill, Indermit & Kharas, Homi (2006)  An East Asian Renaissance: Ideas for Economic Growth, Washington DC, The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank and The Institute of Policy Studies (Pàgina del Banc Mundial)
  • EU in figures, available at  https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/figures_en
  • Naugton, B. (2007) The chinese economy. Transitions and Growth. MIT, Cambridge, USA
  • Stiglitz, Joseph E. (2003). "Globalization, Technology, and Asian Development." Asian Development Review, 20:2, pp. 1-18. (Disponible en internet, página personal d'Stiglitz en la Universidad de Columbia)
  • EU websites on economic relations, statistics and agreements.

Software

None


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(TE) Theory 1 Spanish first semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 2 Spanish first semester afternoon