Managing Trade Conflicts in the ICT Industry: A Case Study of EU-Greater China Area

Abstract

Trade policy is formulated through a rather complex decision-making process that involves two-way interactions between actors in public and private sectors. Such interactions are of particular importance in resolving trade controversies in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. Focusing on the conflicts between the EU and its trading partners in the Greater China Area regarding certain innovation policies in this high-tech industry, this Article underscores how catch-up strategies adopted by latecomer economies in East Asia may implicate the world trade order in recent years. Loosely built upon the insights of public-private network theory, this Article identifies key variables—economic, legal, and political considerations—most pertinent to the EU s strategies to manage these claims. By unpacking these underlying factors that turn on truces or peace in trade conflicts, this Article contributes to the scholarly debate by indicating possible direction in which the stream will flow inside the trade policymaking process.