Podcasts
Voice for CHOICE #30: Making Sense of Georgia’s Strategic Partnership with China with Emil Avdaliani
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a momentum for Georgia to become a major transit hub as both the EU and China are looking to diversify their trade routes away from Russia. Over the past decade, Tbilisi and Beijing have deepened their economic ties. At the end of July 2023, China and Georgia announced an upgrade in bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. While China is seeking to expand its presence in the South Caucusus, Tbilisi might be using the partnership with China to grant concessions from Brussels ahead of the EU’s decision on the country’s candidacy for membership.
Voice for CHOICE #29: Sino-Polish Relations and Changing Polish Views on China with Alicja Bachulska
China’s tacit approval for the Russian invasion of Ukraine is significantly shaping both the Polish public opinion on China as well as the political and business elite’s perception of China. Although views still diverge among different actors and political parties. Geopolitical shifts underway with the US and China also played a role in shaping Sino-Polish relations. Furthermore, the growing perception that NATO’s eastern flank as a theater of war and East Asian geopolitical theaters are merging constitutes a source of concern for Warsaw.
Voice for CHOICE #28: China’s Role in the Extractive Industries in the Western Balkans with Ana Krstinovska
China is among the biggest global importers of all the Western Balkans extractive exports. China’s interest in the region’s extractive and raw materials industries is related to its overall need for certain raw materials…
Voice for CHOICE #27: Sino-Russian Partnership under Scrutiny with Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova
China’s special diplomatic mission is touring Kyiv, Warsaw, Paris, Berlin and Moscow in a stated mission to search for a political solution to the war in Ukraine. However, a number of Central and Eastern…
Voice for CHOICE #26: Discussing Taiwan’s Parliamentary Diplomacy
Recently, Honduras broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan opening the door to establishing official diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan thus lost a ninth diplomatic ally since the current President, Tsai Ing-wen,…
Voice for CHOICE #25: Taking Stock of Czech-Taiwan Ties with Alice Rezková
Building up on the previous parliamentary delegations to the island, the speaker of the Czech Parliament’s lower house, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, is arriving in Taiwan tomorrow. Despite protests from the Chinese embassy in Prague,…
Voice for CHOICE #24: Unpacking EU-China Relations in 2023 with Grzegorz Stec
After three years of self-imposed isolation, China has opened up to the world. Xi Jinping has come back to the diplomatic stage and we have seen a renewal of high-level visits. In recent weeks,…
Voice for CHOICE #23: Discussing China’s Diplomacy Toward the Global South with Joshua Eisenman
China has positioned itself as a member of the Global South family and has poured billions of dollars into building infrastructure in Africa and Southeast Asia to increase its clout in these regions and…
Voice for CHOICE #22: Strengthening Knowledge Security with Ingrid d’Hooghe
In recent years, risks related to scientific collaboration with China have received more attention. There are growing fears over unwanted technology transfers, breaches of academic freedom, and concerns about ethical norms in research collaboration…
Voice for CHOICE #21: Lessons for Taiwan from the War in Ukraine with Tetsuo Kotani
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many have tried to draw a parallel between Ukraine and Taiwan. While it is true that both countries are threatened by a great power in their immediate neighborhood, there…
Voice for CHOICE #20: Eyes on the 20th National Party Congress with Katja Drinhausen
China’s 20th National Communist Party Congress is set to be a major event for China’s politics as Xi is heading towards securing another five years as paramount leader. It remains unclear who will remain,…
Voice for CHOICE #19: Examining China’s Quest for Foreign Technology with Ivana Karásková
China is a unique actor in the field of Science, Technology and innovation. Not only it has declared its goal to become a technology superpower by 2049 but it is also pouring massive financial…