Central and Eastern Europe has been one of the most interesting regions to follow in terms of the Chinese global presence. When China stepped up its engagement with the region via its 16+1 initiative in 2012, the debate in Europe soon after started to revolve around the notion of the region serving as a “Trojan … Read more
Last October saw the launch of a European Union probe designed to determine whether Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) benefitted unfairly from state subsidies. Many saw this as the culmination of European Commission efforts under President Ursula von der Leyen to pursue EU autonomy in green technologies vis-à-vis China. However, with barely two months left until … Read more
The first in-person China-EU summit since 2019 convened in Beijing on December 7. There were no major outcomes, only markedly pessimistic statements coming from the European side. With grievances mounting, from market access and dumping concerns to China’s support for Russia, is there any hope for China-EU relations? The Diplomat’s Shannon Tiezzi interviews Theresa Fallon, … Read more
Advertisement Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda’s October 2023 visit to Australia brings into focus his country’s commitment to fostering deeper security, economic and person-to-person links with Australia. It also demonstrates the push in Vilnius for alliances within the Indo-Pacific. Lithuania’s Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) was announced a few days before NATO’s July 2023 Vilnius summit, but attention … Read more
Advertisement In the security state that Chinese leader Xi Jinping is building, economic security matters. But in the “securitization of everything” that is emblematic of his governing style, how crucial is it exactly? Economic security is just one of the 16 areas outlined in Xi’s 2014 vision of “comprehensive national security” (总体国家安全). This concept encompasses … Read more
Advertisement The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Dr. Una Bērziņa-Čerenkova – director of the China Studies Centre at Riga Stradins University, head of the Asia program at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, and … Read more
Advertisement The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Dr. Tim Rühlig, senior research fellow at the Center for Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, and Technology of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) in Berlin, is the 380th in “The Trans-Pacific View … Read more
Advertisement When European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Beijing in April, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed to her that “sound development of China-EU relations would not be possible if the principles of independence, mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation are not upheld.” He went on, saying that China and the EU need to … Read more
Advertisement China has abruptly canceled a visit to Beijing by the European Union’s top diplomat, the EU said Wednesday, amid ongoing disagreements between the two powers over trade, human rights and the Ukraine war. Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, was due to arrive in China on July 10 … Read more
Advertisement On June 14, Germany unveiled its first-ever National Security Strategy, introducing the concept of “integrated security.” This conceptualizes security as a wide-ranging notion relevant to all levels of government and society, encompassing the economy and supply chains, technological development, cybersecurity, and human rights policy. Similarly, on June 20, the European Union published a report … Read more