Over the last 50 years, EU-China relations have developed and flourished, but have also come under strain, changing their scope and nature. This article is the first systematic review of the literature on these relations, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework. It demonstrates how these relations have evolved over time, showing that while academia has focused on certain policy areas, others have been overlooked. Similarly, the review reveals a clear empirical approach to EU–China relations, which is largely based on analysing policy documents. The article concludes by suggesting a potential future research agenda.