Relations between China and Europe have fluctuated since 1949. This study attempts to trace the ups and downs in that course and aims to identify the major factors at play in the Sino-European relationship during the period 1949 to 1995. Today, China and the member nations of the European Union have many common interests in economics and trade, and the end of the Cold War has afforded them the opportunity to know each other better and develop relations more independently. This common knowledge is vital for the mutual peace and prosperity of both regions.