BEST OF CHOICE 2025

The past twelve months have been important for China-CEE relations and for CHOICE, as we deepened our focus on key topics such as de-risking, economic security, and the evolving EU-China relationship. Our team expanded its engagement with policymakers, media, and academic circles, providing timely analysis on China’s growing global influence.

Our team extended to Brussels, strengthened our existing networks, and organized internal activities to foster creativity and collaboration. The CHOICE newsletter continued to deliver in-depth insights – now also featuring Brussels updates – reaching an ever-growing audience. Behind the scenes, our analysts worked tirelessly to produce research, policy recommendations, and expert commentary, ensuring that Central and Eastern European perspectives are heard in the broader European debate.

As we bid farewell to 2025, we look back at a year filled with challenges, progress, and impact. Here are our top 10 highlights!

Most-Read CHOICE Article

Our most-read piece of 2025 was China Holds a Kill Switch to the European Power Grid by Erika Langerová. It offered insights into Europe’s critical infrastructure and dependencies on China.

Most Accurate Cartoon Depiction of 2025

This has been a tough year for the EU, and we all know there is much work to do. Many great things start with a dream, but we don’t want it to end there, so we decided to depict 2025 as “Dreaming of the EU.” Thanks to our cartoonist Stellina for this great piece.

Most Impactful CHOICE Public Appearance

In November, our lead Ivana Karásková testified on China’s influence in the European Union at the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs Special & Committee on the European Democracy Shield public hearing.

Most Innovative Format

We are very happy about our newest format – CHOICE Investigations. In 2025 we published great pieces by an influencer Milan Dobrovolný and a scientist Erika Langerová. Although neither is a China geek, both had curious China experiences in their field & wanted to investigate. Experiencing something similar? Let us know!

Most Inspiring Team Building

CHOICE had a wonderful 2025 together with Ivana Karásková (Team Lead), Jan Blinka (Project Manager), Emma Belmonte 白哲力 (China Analyst & Podcaster), Paulína Ovečková (China Analyst & Communications Coordinator) and Konrad Szatters (China Analyst & Editor). We can’t wait to see what 2026 brings!

Most Notable Research

Between October 2024 and October 2025, our sister project Women Insight on China (WiCH) tracked gender representation across 268 events and 210 podcast episodes organized by 63 European think tanks. The results compiled in “Where Are Europe’s Women China Experts?” are as revealing as they are sobering: men made up roughly two-thirds of all speakers, while women accounted for just 34.7 percent.

Most Liked Social Media Post

The social media post you enjoyed the most this year was about the article by Marcin Mateusz Jerzewski 葉皓勤 on Poland-China relations after Wang Yi’s visit.

Most Listened Podcast Episode

In “Beyond Propaganda: China’s Global Media Makeover,” Emma Belmonte explored the intricate strategies China employs to reshape its global image, moving from traditional propaganda to more engaging content tailored to local audiences with Dr. David O’Brien and Joanna Nawrotkiewicz.

Our Favorite Event of the Year

We are pleased to have co-organized the 2025 European China Conference in Berlin with our partners Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) & European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). It was a very productive day of exchange with fellow China experts, policy makers and journalists.

Ivana Karásková opened the discussion with colleagues on what developments to expect in China in the near future. The director of AMO Vít Dostál moderated the panel on China-Russia relations, while our analyst Paulína Ovečková moderated the session on Chinese investment in CEE.

Unique China-CEE Themed Crossword!

We know the holidays are best enjoyed playing a game. That’s why CHOICE prepared a special crossword for you, our favorite China observers. Even during times of relax, our brains need a bit of exercise, so take a look at these questions and have fun! If you have the time to read, you will find many hints in our 2025 articles, and if you don’t, stay alert, as we will share the answers on December 31.

Thank you for your continued support. We wish you a joyful and resilient New Year!