#infrastructure
Italy and the BRI: A Love Story That Never Started
To renew, or not to renew, that is the question.
The European Foreign Subsidies Regulation: Effective Means of Protecting Strategic Infrastructure or an Investment Impediment?
The European policy discourse is shifting away from economic openness to emphasizing security concerns in the context of Chinese stakes in strategic infrastructure. The European Foreign Subsidies Regulation is another piece of the puzzle that could change the balance of power between the EU institutions and national governments. While the mechanism promises to bring a more cohesive handling of Chinese bids for public contracts and M&A transactions buttressed by subsidies, it could also spark tensions within the EU.
China Still Ambivalent About the Middle Corridor
Despite the oft-touted momentum behind the Eurasian Middle Corridor circumventing Russia, China still appears not be fully behind the project beset by geopolitical challenges and infrastructure hurdles.
Voice for CHOICE #23: Discussing China’s Diplomacy Toward the Global South with Joshua Eisenman
China has positioned itself as a member of the Global South family and has poured billions of dollars into building infrastructure in Africa and Southeast Asia to increase its clout in these regions and…
Chinese Stakes in European Ports: Geopolitical Threat or Mere Business Venture?
Chinese investments in European ports have sparked fears and a debate over the obligations of business to deal with matters of national security. Understanding the economic and political importance of ports, and the actors involved in Chinese investments, can help to evaluate their economic and political impacts in a way that is strategically minded but does not shut the door for business.
Reaching the New Levels of Sino-Serbian Relations
While China’s presence in Central and Eastern Europe has been affected by the crisis of the erstwhile “17+1” format after the withdrawal of the Baltic countries, Beijing still has committed partners in the region.
Open RAN – Not Solving the “5G China Challenge”
The high market share of Chinese technology giant Huawei in 5G infrastructure has made observers hope that a technological disaggregation of 5G’s Radio Access Network (RAN) could solve geopolitical challenges posed by China. While technologically promising, this approach, known as Open RAN, neither reduces reliance on China nor necessarily offers a higher degree of network security.
Duisburg: From a Dirty Old Town to Germany’s China City?
The German rust belt city of Duisburg has been at the forefront of cooperation between China and Germany. However, the uncertainty over the future economic engagement of Chinese actors in the city and the growing geopolitical risks increasingly put the future of cooperation into question.
Montenegro’s Chinese-built Highway as its Path to Europe
The priority section of Montenegro’s first-ever highway opened last month after seven years of construction and multiple delays. Beyond being the most important infrastructural project in Montenegro to date, it has become a substantial factor in Montenegro’s foreign policy and internal identity politics.
Montenegro’s Growing Distance from China
This article is part of a series of articles authored by young, aspiring China scholars under the Future CHOICE initiative. As Montenegro continues its westward turn in foreign policy, the erstwhile interest in expanding ties…
China’s Belt and Road Loses a Notch and Gains a Bump
With the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in full sway, China’s plans to expand trade and fortify transportation ties with Central and Eastern Europe have been thrown into disarray. Yet, even though the Russian…
The Global Gateway Joins the Competition Against the BRI
Recently, the EU officially launched the Global Gateway strategy as a new branding for its EU-Asia connectivity programs. This happened more than two months after Ursula von der Leyen first announced the strategy during…