#BRI
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…
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
With the help of Chinese loans, Hungary plans to upgrade a 160-kilometer railway line from the capital of Budapest south to the Serbian border at a cost of 2.89 billion dollars. Basic questions about…
The Golden Handcuffs of Chinese Investment
China’s investments in the Baltic countries are so far insignificant, but the Chinese have their eyes on large strategic infrastructure projects, developments that are simultaneously tempting and worrying to the Baltics. During a dinner…
Chinese Investment in Greek, Sri Lankan Sea Ports: Analogies and Lessons Learned
While Greece and Sri Lanka are far apart, both countries sit on the ‘Maritime Silk Road’ of China’s signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Both countries have seen growing Chinese presence, particularly with regard…