#China
From Honeymoon to Hard Choices: Merz’s Coming Balancing Act
Amid a volatile global trade landscape and shifting alliances, Germany’s incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces the urgent task of recalibrating Sino-German relations, transforming what was once a “honeymoon” into a high-stakes balancing act between…
What Beijing’s Multipolar World Means for Ukraine and Europe
While recent shifts in the US position on Russia’s war against Ukraine have been met with considerable anxiety, leading to calls for rapid rearmament in Europe, Beijing has a radically different perspective. For China,…
Voice for CHOICE #53: Countering the “Axis of Evil” Alliance with Kateryna Musiienko
When discussing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, we often focus on its broader, pan-European implications. In doing so, we sometimes overlook the profound local impact on Ukrainian communities, with individual stories only occasionally…
Xi Jinping’s Grand Bargain: Taming and Empowering China’s Private Enterprises
Xi Jinping wants China to believe he has always supported private business. Before the 2025 National People’s Congress, a People’s Daily report detailed how he has done so at every stage of his career: “He is…
Poor Man’s BRI: The Global Gateway as a Strategic Tool?
This article is based on the research paper “Leveraging the Global Gateway Initiative to Advance the Czech Republic’s Strategic Interests” by Dominika Urhová, published by the Association for International Affairs (AMO) in March 2025. In recent…
China’s Narrative Warfare in Africa: Influence and Mechanisms
This article is based on a research report titled ‘Strings attached: China’s narrative influence in Sub-Saharan Africa’ originally published on January 30, 2025, by Hybrid CoE. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is frustrated that its economic and…
Voice for CHOICE #52: Future of Japan’s Defense with Nobushige Takamizawa
As China continues to speak about “peaceful reunification” while raising regional tensions, and Donald Trump’s new administration takes full effect, Japan faces growing uncertainty. Despite maintaining a strong working relationship with President Trump during…
Taking Consultation in China Seriously: The People’s Political Consultative Conferences
This article was originally published with the SOAS China Institute and is republished here with the permission of the author. The article is a part of an ongoing collaboration between the SOAS China Institute and CHOICE. Although…
Two Sessions: China’s Foreign, Economic and Social Policy Priorities for 2025
The annually held ‘Two Sessions’ – the concurrent meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s rubber-stamp parliament, and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), an institution often regarded as even more powerless…
European Auto Industry: Balancing Growth and Green Goals
In January 2025, the European Commission unveiled the Competitiveness Compass, the Clean Industrial Deal, and launched the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry. These initiatives were followed in March 2025…
Interlinked Instability: Why CEE and the Indo-Pacific Must Stand Together
This article is based on the research paper “Interlinked Instability: Central and Eastern Europe and the Indo-Pacific in a Changing Geopolitical Landscape” by Pavel Havlíček, Ivana Karásková, and Danila Naumov, published by the Association…
Europe at a Crossroads: Navigating the US, China, and Russia in an Uncertain World
Europe is at a crossroads. The German federal election may have provided some semblance of political stability with the mainstream conservatives’ victory, but the far-right’s 21 percent share of the vote reveals a deeper…