#BRI
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…
The New Budapest-Belgrade Railway Line: A White Elephant on the New Silk Road
The rise of China as a global economic power is increasingly seen as a threat to American and European interests. According to Washington, China is disrupting global trade by demanding to be treated like…
China’s Infrastructure Push in Europe
The article was originally published at The Diplomat and is republished here with the permission of the author. The Chinese presence in Europe is rapidly gaining momentum; however, China should not be seen as…
In Croatia, China’s Building its Bridge to Europe
This article was originally published at China Dialogue and is reposted here with the permission of the author. The 2.4km Pelješac bridge is key infrastructure for Croatia, and a showcase for China in Europe…
Story of a Chinese Airport in Albania
“The Airport is not Chinese; it belongs to the Albanians,” claimed a press release by the concessionaire of Tirana Airport on 10 April 2019. The statement was made one day after yet another dramatic…
The Belt and Road After COVID-19
This article was originally published at The Diplomat and is republished here with author‘s permission. The COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly looking like a watershed, one of those moments in history that mark the end…
Documentary: In the Shadow of China
In China’s Xinjiang province, tens of thousands of members of ethnic minorities have been disappearing in camps, mainly the Uighurs, Kazachs, and Kyrgyz. This Western Chinese province has a significant place in the plans…