Tag: #Balkans
Why the EU Must Deal with Montenegro’s Chinese Debt
Dritan Abazović, Montenegro's deputy prime minister, formally requested the European Union’s help in repaying the debt to the Exim Bank of China in late March. The appeal not only renewed the EU’s focus on the current candidate,...
Leveraging Central and Eastern Europe to Push Back On China
This article was originally published by CEPA and is republished here with the consent of the author.
China is making inroads with the EU, and its 17+1 initiative, targeted at Central and Eastern Europe,...
Beijing Finds Its Voice: China’s Rising Media Footprint in South East Europe
China’s entry into and eventual entrenchment in South East Europe (SEE) has proceeded thus far via an apparent paradox. On one hand, it has focused on large-scale, spectacular projects in infrastructure and energy, generating a plethora of...
China Goes Granular: Beijing’s Multi-Level Approach to the Western Balkans
This article was originally published by the European Council on Foreign Relations and is republished here with the permission of the authors.
The morning of September 9 began mundanely enough in Skopje, the capital...
Serbia’s Balancing Act on China
In early September, the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić sat next to his US counterpart Donald Trump and Kosovo’s Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti in the Oval Office to announce the restoration of economic ties with Kosovo. Although...
Fragmented Screening of Chinese Investments in CEE
Countries in Central and Eastern Europe have been perceived to have a less sensitive attitude towards foreign direct investments (FDI), leading to a common reputation as an easier entry point into the EU for foreign investors. Unfortunately,...
Learn the Rules to Master the Game: Chinese Infrastructure Investments in the Balkans
With activities ranging from hastily assembled initiatives to holistic market assessments, Chinese companies are getting their foot in the door to the Balkans-with clear intentions of leaving a lasting footprint in the region’s infrastructure market. However, it...
China’s Environmental Footprint in Southeast Europe
In 2009, China’s leadership of a group of developing nations that opposed ambitious commitments to fight climate change led to the failure of the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen. Just over a decade later...
Proposed EU Criteria for New Members Show Wary Europe Has China on Its Mind
The communications of the European Commission rarely receive international media attention, even on days when they do not have to compete with a possible pandemic and the impeachment drama of an American president. It has to be admitted that the eight-page document released...
Facing the China Challenge in the Balkans
For years, concerns in Brussels and Western European capitals about the security of southeastern Europe have centered on the threat posed by Putin’s Russia. But behind these fears the question of China looms large.
Russia’s...
Offsetting External Influence in the Balkans: Recommendations for the EU
The failure to open accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia has again shifted focus on the question of the EU's credibility in the Western Balkans. The EU's lack of leadership in the region is creating opportunities...
Serbia: China’s Open Door to the Balkans
China is Playing an Increasingly Active Role in Serbia, Part of Its Expansion in Central and Eastern Europe.
Despite a renewed interest on Beijing’s part, China’s relationship with the European Union encountered...
