#bilateral
Tiptoeing around China – Poland Plays it Safe
Five months into the term of Poland’s new government, Foreign Affairs Minister Radosław Sikorski delivered a foreign policy exposé, delineating Warsaw’s aims for the upcoming year. Sikorski reaffirmed Poland’s pragmatic stance towards China, balancing economic interests with concerns over ideological disparities and Beijing’s political tactics, while also avoiding any definitive decision to disengage.
What China Sees in Ireland
While ties between Ireland and China have been relatively free of the tensions seen in many other European countries’ bilateral relationships with Beijing, troubles might lie ahead.
Voice for CHOICE #33: Discussing Prague Castle’s China Policy with Petr Kolář
After the honeymoon period of Czech-China relations that started in 2013, the bilateral ties gradually soured. This shift was linked to the perceived lack of benefits stemming from economic cooperation and various security-related events…
How Czechia Engages Taiwan
While shared values have underpinned the growing Czech-Taiwanese relationship, there is an interest on both sides to prove that the cooperation can also deliver tangible results.
Voice for CHOICE #31: Slovak Elections in the Spotlight with Nikoleta Nemečkayová
In September parliamentary elections, pro-Russia leftist populist SMER-SD led by former PM Robert Fico secured victory, taking the lead over the liberal Western-oriented Progressive Slovakia (PS). SMER-SD managed to form a coalition with Peter…
Portugal Steps Off the Silk Road
Portugal is the latest European nation reassessing its relationship with communist China.
China’s Involvement in Myanmar Amid Deepening Ties between China and ASEAN Countries
From access to the Indian Ocean, Myanmar’s oil and gas supplies and rare earth reserves to managing stability on the shared border, Myanmar is a strategically important neighbor for China. The internal situation in the country therefore directly affects Beijing’s geopolitical and security interests in the Asia-Pacific region, including ties with ASEAN.
A Big Amount of Nothing: Looking into Czech Participation in the 14+1
The Czech Republic is in the process of revising its policy towards China under the reign of a center-right government. As the country is still a part of the 14+1 format, the issue of continued participation in the platform is naturally part of the review. In spite of that, no (public) assessment of Czech participation in the platform since its inception in 2012 has been conducted. Did the Czech Republic gain anything at all from its engagement with China under this format?
Italy’s Taiwan Policy at a Crossroads
The government of Georgia Meloni in Italy has to decide whether to upgrade its relationship with Taiwan as it reconsiders ties with China.
Amid Sunny Rhetoric, China Restricts Investment in Belarus
While Minsk places high expectations on China to replace the closed Western commodity and financial markets, and access to technologies, Beijing is reluctant to extend a helping hand due to strained relations between Belarus and the West.
Reaching the New Levels of Sino-Serbian Relations
While China’s presence in Central and Eastern Europe has been affected by the crisis of the erstwhile “17+1” format after the withdrawal of the Baltic countries, Beijing still has committed partners in the region.