#China
Forget Communism. Two-Century-Long Identity Debate Explains Czech Stance towards China
Any noteworthy action in Czech foreign policy inevitably triggers a wave of analyses by Western pundits who find any way possible to explain the Czechs’ motives by linking them to the historical experience of Communism…
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…
Oxford-style Debate: COVID-19 Epidemic as China’s ‘Chernobyl Moment’?
Motion: “The response to the COVID-19 epidemic will damage the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party” FOR the Motion: MATEJ ŠimalČÍK Executive Director, CEIAS In late November 2019, the first cases of novel coronavirus infection…
China’s Confrontational Diplomacy in the ‘New Era’
On March 12, 2020, a new spokesperson of China’s ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) Zhao Lijian floated an idea on his Twitter account that the new coronavirus, which first started spreading in Wuhan, could…
A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed – Belgrade Leans Closer to Beijing in the Fight Against the COVID-19 Epidemic
As Serbia fights the coronavirus outbreak it is once again looking to China for support. Coupled with the indignation with the EU’s response, Serbia seems to be moving even closer to Beijing’s orbit. However,…
Inside of China’s Global Propaganda Campaign on COVID-19
The coronavirus epidemic has become a major test for China’s global image. While Beijing has faced criticism for its mismanagement of the epidemic in the beginning, its seeming success in containing the outbreak contrasted with…
Berlin Muddles Through Again: Why Lack of Germany’s China Strategy Should Make CEE Countries Worried
Much talk has been in the media recently about China gaining the upper hand in the Sino-German relationship. Facing economic disruptions stemming from the coronavirus epidemic in China, it is a good time to…
Sister-City Relations and Identity Politics: The Case of Prague, Beijing, Taipei, and Shanghai
When the Prague City Council approved a sister city agreement with Taiwan in January 2020, Shanghai responded by canceling its own partnership with Prague, which was established back in 2017. The cancellation came after a similar…
Countering China’s Influence Campaigns at European Universities
This article was originally published at The Diplomat and is reposted here with the permission of the author. China’s efforts to manipulate academic discourse in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) cannot be easily discerned,…
Chinese Investments in the Czech Republic: Opportunity or Threat?
Before 2015, the idea of China-Czech cooperation was a non-issue. Relations hung in a post-1989 fog of mutual disinterest and distrust, dominated by the Czech preference for prioritising Havelian anti-communism and human rights and…
Proposed EU Criteria for New Members Show Wary Europe Has China on Its Mind
The communications of the European Commission rarely receive international media attention, even on days when they do not have to compete with a possible pandemic and the impeachment drama of an American president. It has to be admitted…
Chile: The Door to China’s Influence in Latin America?
Beijing’s alleged media strategy against Hong Kong’s demonstrators through diplomatic statements and an aggressive defense on its geopolitical domains is not limited to Central and Eastern Europe, but it is rather a worldwide strategy…