ChinaObservers

EU's rhetoric on China is changing. ✍Konrad Szatters writes about what is driving Europe’s tougher stance on Beijing and whether this shift in rhetoric will translate into concrete action. Read the article:🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-eus-chin...

🔋Europe’s green transition is increasingly connected to economic security, strategic autonomy, and China. But do Green parties address this connection? ✍ Paulína Ovečková found that nearly two-thirds of Green parties do not mention China in their communications. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/green-on-cli...

👀For the parties that do, skepticism around China's clean-tech dominance, supply-chain security risks, and human rights concerns are central themes. 🔗Read the full article to find out what a more unified Green China policy could look like: chinaobservers.eu/green-on-cli...

🏛️China’s #influence in the #WesternBalkans relies on long-term relationships built through connecting universities, media, and professional networks. Aleksandra Spasovska explains how the connections shape perceptions of #China. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/from-classro... Originally published by Estima.

🤖 China’s #humanoid #robotics boom is more than a tech spectacle. Krzysztof Karwowski writes about how Beijing is using industrial policy, research, and investment to advance robotics. Can #China can turn the progress into a lasting industrial advantage?🔗 chinaobservers.eu/humanoid-rob...

🔎Montenegro’s EU ambition & NATO membership have not prevented China from building ties across its political landscape. Danilo Kalezic explains how Beijing influence evolved with successive governments, and what this means for Montenegro’s EU path: 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/how-china-ke... 🧵

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🤝 China builds relationships across Montenegrin political parties, public institutions, and universities.

📜 EU and NATO frameworks can help strengthen oversight and transparency around these networks.

Key takeaways 🗝️ 🏭 Chinese companies continue to secure major infrastructure contracts, including projects backed by European funding.

🤝 #Georgia and #China upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic #partnership. Yet economic gains remain limited. ✍ Ioseb Dzamukashvili writes that Georgia’s strategic #hedging between China and the West risks becoming a strategic illusion. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/georgias-chi...

📢 Last Wednesday was a very important day for CHOICE, as we met in person at our Prague office! 🥳 With part of the team based in Brussels, we rarely get the opportunity to work side by side. The team-building session was a valuable chance to connect.

💬 We discussed how to bring you CEE expertise on China more effectively, as well as CHOICE's plans and priorities. We also met colleagues from other teams at @amo.cz and discovered many shared research interests.

📸CHOICE team: @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social (Team Lead & Analyst), Jan Liska (Project Manager), Paulína Ovečková (PR Coordinator & Analyst), @sensehofstede.nl (Head of Brussels Office & Analyst), Selena Orly (Deputy Team Lead & Analyst), and Konrad Szatters (Editor & Analyst) who could not make it.

📢 Last week, our sister-project Women Insight on China (WiCH) brought together its Co-Chairs from across Europe to the Czech Republic for a two-day retreat full of workshops. 🪄

👉 And of course, the impeccable @amo.cz organization team: Ivana Karásková, Paulína Ovečková, Mariana Prerovska, Štěpánka Lukešová, Anna Stejskalová & Jan Liska.

We look forward to bringing all the new ideas to light soon! #WomenInsightOnChina #WiCH #China #ChinaExpertise #WomenInChinaStudies #GenderEquality #Mentoring #EuropeanChinaPolicy

📢 Last week, our sister-project Women Insight on China (WiCH) brought together its Co-Chairs from across Europe to the Czech Republic for a two-day retreat full of workshops. 🪄

🏵️The time spent together was also valuable for strengthening the WiCH network, as we found ways to connect beyond the working sessions – from an evening in Kutná Hora with a private tour of the Sedlec Ossuary to a yoga session in between workshops.

👏We are grateful to all WiCH Co-Chairs and look forward to the next chapter of WiCH with Agnes Szunomar, @abachulska.bsky.social, Ana Krstinovska, Andreea Leonte, @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social, Katja Drinhausen, @malinoud.bsky.social, @sariarhohavren.bsky.social, Selena Orly, Vida Mačikėnaitė &others.

📢 Last week, our sister-project Women Insight on China (WiCH) brought together its Co-Chairs from across Europe to the Czech Republic for a two-day retreat full of workshops. 🪄

2️⃣ A public database of women experts on China – making it easier for journalists, conference organizers, think tanks and other institutions to find qualified women with relevant expertise.

3️⃣ Mentoring – developing an individual mentoring programme as well as online sessions addressing practical career challenges. connecting emerging experts with experienced women in the field.

📢 Last week, our sister-project Women Insight on China (WiCH) brought together its Co-Chairs from across Europe to the Czech Republic for a two-day retreat full of workshops. 🪄

We looked at how we can bring more women experts👩‍🦰 to the forefront of Europe's China debate – constructively and with practical tools that will shape WiCH’s next phase, supported by Stiftung Mercator GmbH. The Co-Chairs shaped how each pillar of WiCH will look like🧵

1️⃣ The WiCH Audit – tracking gender representation at China-related events and podcasts, using data to identify gaps and progress. See the results of our 2024-2025 audit here: chinaobservers.eu/women-insigh...

🚗🔋Chinese EV sales in Western Europe are growing despite tariffs. Neil Thompson writes how climate goals, security concerns and trade tensions are shaping Europe’s growing reliance on Chinese green technologies. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/chinas-green... Originally published by @thediplomat.com

21 Sept

Today at CHOICE, Konrad Szatters writes about why Poland-Taiwan relations are flourishing, although without official recognition and changes in the Polish diplomatic position. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-quiet-co...

17 Sept

🤫 Something is brewing... while we are waiting for our #WiCH co-chairs to arrive at the very first #Women Insight on #China meeting! WiCH is our very exciting sister-project you will definitely be hearing about in the near future. 👩‍🦰 📎 chinaobservers.eu/women-insigh... @amo.cz

16 Sept

🗳️The 2027 #French presidential #election will shape European #China policy. Do you know where candidates stand on China? ✍ @emma-belmonte.bsky.social examines the prospective presidents' China-related statements and proposed foreign policy. A must-read on France:🔗 chinaobservers.eu/how-will-fra...

14 Sept

🗓️✍A must-read before October: @sensehofstede.nl analyzes the current Brussels–member states dynamics and how the upcoming months could shape the future Brussels–Beijing relations. Read the article:🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-eu-has-t...

11 Sept

📢 Big announcement📢 CHOICE has just published the first #CEE-#China policy #audit! @ivana_karaskova, Selena Orly & Konrad Szatters examined shifts in the China policy of 19 CEE countries during the 2025-2026 period. What did we find? Read the paper📜👇 chinaobservers.eu/central-and-...

👉 What matters is not whether a country is “for” or “against” China, but what role its government believes Beijing should play in its security, economy and foreign policy – and how that role is changing.

11 Sept

This would not have been possible without the help of the CHOICE community. We are very grateful to all our reviewers for their time, expertise and thoughtful feedback. #China #CentralAndEasternEurope #CEE #ChinaPolicy #EUChina #DeRisking #Geopolitics #ForeignPolicy

🔹Some countries increasingly view China through the lens of security and strategic dependencies, while others maintain pragmatic economic ties or seek closer engagement.

11 Sept

🔹The region cannot be meaningfully divided into simply “pro-China” and “anti-China” countries. The audit identifies five distinct policy trajectories: 🔸 Security-first skeptics 🔸 Managed pragmatists 🔸 A transition case 🔸 Political openers 🔸 Structurally constrained actors

Key takeaways: 🔹CEE is not moving in one direction on China. 🔹#Russia’s war against #Ukraine, China’s alignment with Moscow, uncertainty over #US policy, domestic political shifts and economic exposure to China are reshaping governments’ approaches to Beijing.

9 Sept

📈 China's record-high trade surplus reflects a strategy built around industrial strength, financial statecraft, and geopolitical leverage. ✍Martin Mühleisen argues the surplus is the visible byproduct of Beijing's deliberate strategy aimed at self-sufficiency.👉 chinaobservers.eu/why-chinas-e...

7 Sept

🤖 While the #US continues to dominate key parts of the #AI ecosystem, #China is seeking to shape the #rules and partnerships that will define its future. In today's CHOICE article, Ronny Sasmita explains implications for Europe and middle powers. 👀Read the piece: chinaobservers.eu/china-us-alg...

2 Sept

🗣️ Michael Malinconi writes that the EU is increasingly adopting NATO’s harder-edged language on China, after growing economic concerns over Beijing’s trade practices and support for Russia. Read the article: 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-evolutio...

1 Sept

📬Subscribe to our #newsletter to receive fresh CEE-China updates this Thursday! 👉 amo.ecomailapp.cz/public/form/... ✍ This month we take a closer look at #Lithuania's #China policy & Beijing's answer to EU's newest #sanctions.

31 Aug

🫷 What would the latest US #sanctions bill mean for #Russia, #China, #India, and #Iran? Maia Nikoladze writes that if passed, the bill would put greater pressure on Russia by targeting its energy revenues & imposing tariffs on major buyers of Russian #oil & #gas. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/what-the-lat...

28 Aug

🎙️In the newest episode of China Observers, @emma-belmonte.bsky.social discusses CHOICE's pilot audit of the diverse #CEE #ChinaPolicies with authors @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social, Selena Orly & Konrad Szatters. Tune in to find out more! 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/central-and-...

26 Aug

China’s new Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law does not stop at China’s borders. ✍Jozef Huljak writes about the law, its implications, and the international response to it. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/beijings-eth...

26 Aug

🤔 Western Balkans continue to engage with China, but the nature of their engagement is changing and is far from unified. ✍ Selena Orly writes how countries across the region are balancing economic openness to China with their commitments to the EU and NATO. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/china-in-the...

24 Aug

China’s new Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law does not stop at China’s borders. ✍ Read today’s CHOICE article by Jozef H. to learn more about the law, its implications, and the international response to it. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/beijings-eth...

19 Aug

📉 🏗️ Chinese lending to the Western Balkans is declining, yet Chinese companies continue to win major infrastructure contracts. Stefan Vladisavljev writes how new sources of financing allowed China to move from a creditor to a contractor. Read the article🔗 chinaobservers.eu/after-the-lo...

17 Aug

🇵🇱🇨🇳 China placed two Polish tech institutions on its export control list following EU measures targeting Chinese companies supplying to Russia. Antoni Łukasik explains why the Polish institutions were targeted and what the move means for 🇵🇱 high-tech. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/why-did-chin...

12 Aug

@chinaobservers.bsky.social Read today’s CHOICE article by Sense Hofstede to learn how China’s vision of great-power responsibility also helps legitimize Russia’s claims in Europe. chinaobservers.eu/xi-jinpings-...

10 Aug

@chinaobservers.bsky.social In July 2026, China placed two Polish entities on its export control list. Yet this move is unlikely to change Warsaw’s approach to China. Read today’s CHOICE article by Konrad Szatters to understand why. chinaobservers.eu/beijings-fir...

5 Aug

@chinaobservers.bsky.social 🚗🔋Chinese EV and battery manufacturers expand across CEE & reshape the region's automotive future. But what opportunities and risks does this transformation bring? ✍️Ágnes Szunomár explores various implications: 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/green-transi...

3 Aug

@chinaobservers.bsky.social 🤔 Could Andrej Babiš's return to power reshape Czechia's approach to China? @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social explores what is changing and what is not.✍ Read the article 👉 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/is-a-czech-c...