Pérez García, ManuelPérez García, ManuelNierga, Oriol2021-12-222021-12-222021-11-01China: An International Journal, NUS Press Pte Ltd, Volume 19, Number 4, November 2021, pp. 121-1440219-8614https://muse.jhu.edu/article/839233http://hdl.handle.net/10433/11939GECEM Project (ERC-Starting Grant), ref. 679371, under the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, www.gecem.eu. https://www.gecem.eu/publications/books.html https://nuspress.nus.edu.sg/collections/cijThis article analyses the higher education systems in the European Union (EU) and China, and the influence of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, yidai yilu) on the implementation, development and reforms of an international agenda. It also takes into consideration the development of EU-China cooperation in education and academia through research and scientific programmes launched in recent years, as well as the role of some key institutions such as the Confucius Institutes. To this end, the aim is to analyse China's "soft power" policy and its link with the novel concept of "academic diplomacy" introduced in this article to describe the engagement and academic international cooperation between the EU and China. Such reforms and promotion of collaboration with the EU have ultimately promoted China's influence and visibility in the global arena.application/pdfenNational University of Singapore PressChinaSoft powerAcademic diplomacyEU-ChinaEuropeHigher education systemBelt and Road Initiative (BRI)InternationalisationGlobal studiesProyecto GECEMjournal articleopen access