#Balkans
Expert Roundtable: China’s Development Assistance to the Western Balkans
The Western Balkan countries’ path to EU integration may be hindered by the activities of non-European actors, especially China, eager to exert their influence in the region. As numerous CHOICE research papers and articles…
War in Ukraine Brings Belgrade Closer to Beijing
This article is part of an exclusive new series from CHOICE focusing on China as a topic in elections across Central and Eastern Europe. Russian aggression in Ukraine is not only a defining moment…
The Belt and Road: Bigger than Infrastructure
A problem of definition is hampering discussions about China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to a greater extent than currently appreciated. Thus far, 148 countries have signed up to the BRI, from Asia to…
China’s Aid in the Western Balkans: Supporting Development, Undermining Good Governance
In a brand new CHOICE paper, China’s development assistance to all the countries that make up the Western Balkans is put under the microscope. The new study by Ana Krstinovska analyzes the Chinese economic…
Sino-Slovenian Relations Off to a Rocky Start in 2022
This article is part of both our Election Monitor series focusing on China as a topic in elections across Central and Eastern Europe as well as a series of articles authored by young, aspiring…
In Serbia, Private Interest Becomes National Interest
Protests in Serbia are provoking rarely seen responses from the government in Belgrade. Faced with widespread unrest and demonstrations in the streets, the Serbian government recently withdrew Draft Amendments to the Law on Expropriation. This marked only…
What 2021 Tells Us About the Future of China-CEE Relations
The year gone by was a tumultuous one for Europe’s relations with China, to say the least. With the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) put on hold, a round of sanctions imposed on China…
Voice for CHOICE #13: Examining China’s CEE Investment Aims with Ágnes Szunomár
Via the 16+1 platform, the Belt and Road, the Digital Silk Road, and more, there is no shortage of Chinese investment initiatives touching the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. This includes infrastructure projects…
Expert Roundtable: The Impacts of China-Funded Projects in the Western Balkans
The EU future for the countries in Western Balkans has recently been challenged. This ambiguity has offered an opening to non-European actors eager to exert influence and exploit openings in the region, including China.…
Editors’ CHOICE: Best of 2021
It has been a busy year in China-CEE relations, to say the least. Whether it be the burgeoning ties to Taiwan raising Beijing’s ire, the 17+1 platform underperforming in President Xi’s first appearance, or…
Major Chinese Investment in Serbia Mired By Worker Abuse Controversy
Vietnamese workers employed by the Chinese firm Linglong Tire in Serbia were living in conditions that have understandably shocked onlookers. Accommodated in old, rusty barracks, not outfitted for a chilly Balkan winter, the employees…
A Coal-Free Future Leaves China’s Engagement in the Balkans Uncertain
There might not be a better moment for the transformation of China’s relationship with the Western Balkans than now. With Xi Jinping’s pledge that China will no longer fund the construction of coal-fired power…