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China in the Slovak Security Strategy: A Step in the Right Direction?
Slovakia is no longer naive about China. However, an effective policy towards Beijing is still a distant goal. China is significantly increasing its power potential and political influence, based on rapidly growing military capabilities,…
Fortifying 5G Networks in North Macedonia: The Need for Western Partners
On September 10, 2020, only ten days into his second term as leader of the government, the Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev met with Zhang Zuo, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China…
Europe’s Rising Anti-China Populism
Most European countries have so far avoided making China a topic of domestic political contestation, with only a few parties across the continent playing a “China card”. That may soon change, with Nigel Farage’s…
Voice for CHOICE #4: Talking European Perceptions of China with Matej Šimalčík
The European Union’s agreement to tentative terms on its Comprehensive Agreement on Investment with China is ruffling some feathers amongst the European public.
EU Should not Rush Investment Deal with China
Before the end of the year, European countries have to decide on an investment agreement with China. A tentative document was rushed through a meeting of ambassadors in Brussels on Friday (18 December). A…
Editors’ CHOICE: Best of 2020
As the solar year speeds to a finish, it’s time for a retrospective on a record year for CHOICE, despite the well-known obstacles that had to be contended with. For a full catchup on…
Power from Within: The Benchmark for EU Unity on China
“The EU needs to practice the language of power, not just speak it,” said the EU’s High Representative Josep Borrell during the 2020 EU Ambassadors’ Conference. In a similar vein, following the election of…
The Czech Model: A New Era for Taiwan’s Diplomacy in Europe?
Following the signing of the Taipei-Prague sister city agreement and Mayor Hřib’s open support for Taiwan’s democracy, 2020 saw another diplomatic victory for Taiwan in the Czech Republic. After the visit of the 89-member…
Oxford-style Debate: Will Europe Choose the U.S. Over China?
Debate originally hosted by Asia Society
The EU’s New China Policy Works
September’s special virtual meeting between the EU and Chinese leaders stirred once again a heated discussion about its outcome. The prevailing assessment was that tangible results of the meeting were minor if not non-existent.…
As EU-China Relations Sour, Will Taiwan Find an Opening?
With the One-China Policy framed by Beijing as non-negotiable, European policymakers have remained cautious about their approach to Taiwan for decades. However, with Taiwan’s effective response to COVID-19 and little progress in Beijing-Brussels relations,…