#BRI
After Pelješac, China and Croatia Eye a New Bridge Project
This article is the fourth in a series of articles published under the Future CHOICE initiative. “With great joy I can say that Croatia is connected,” Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, announced. “We have achieved a…
It’s Smooth Sailing for Sinopharm in Serbia
Chinese vaccine manufacturer Sinopharm does not exactly have a stellar market reputation these days. The two Chinese vaccines Sinopharm and Sinovac have both been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for emergency use,…
Tighter Ties with China Signal Ukraine’s Multi-Vector Foreign Policy
Ukraine is eager to cut deals with China as it confronts the West’s moves to allay Russian concerns. Whether Kyiv’s moves are a sign of a larger foreign policy adjustment or just a bluff…
How China Policy Challenges the German Greens
This article is part of a series of articles authored by young, aspiring China scholars under the Future CHOICE initiative. Despite some recent turbulence, the Greens look set to shake up the German political status…
CHOICE-Japan Dialogue: Juxtaposed Priorities, Overlapping Lessons
Shortly after the G7 summit and its heightened wariness of both direct and indirect challenges posed by China, China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe (CHOICE) and the Japan Forum on International Relations (JFIR)…
What’s Left in the West: China’s Short and Long-term Gains in Italy
This article is the first of a series of articles authored by young, aspiring China scholars under the Future CHOICE initiative. As the first European country hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy has clearly…
China’s ‘Digital Silk Road’ Enters the Western Balkans
The Digital Silk Road (DSR), an important component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is an increasingly scrutinized aspect of China’s foreign policy toolbox that combines the efforts of the Chinese government and…
Watchdogs Detail Damage Done by China in the Western Balkans
Construction of the Bar – Boljare highway in Montenegro by China’s China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has brought irreversible damage to the UNESCO-protected Tara River. Known as the “Tear of Europe”, its riverbanks…
Is China a Sustainable Partner on Issues of Environmental Sustainability?
In concluding the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI), the EU’s Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, declared not only that China is a valuable partner in terms of its growing economy…
Can Power Shift in Montenegro Impact Future Chinese Investments?
Montenegro might just have gotten a unique opportunity to reset its future investment relations with China, given the unexpected results of the recently held parliamentary elections. It is very likely that the new administration…
Moldova’s Unexpected Opening to China
Since declaring independence from the Soviet Union, Moldova has been in a constant political tug-of-war between Russia and the West. Strong divisions amongst the populace exist between those who feel closer to Russia and…
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…