China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe (CHOICE)

👋 Meet the team behind China Observers! 🚀 Introducing Ivana Karásková, China Team Lead at AMO - Association for International Affairs, project manager Michael Douša, communications manager Johanna Mylonaki and our China analysts Filip Noubel, Dominika Remžová and Dominika Urhová. 🤝 Together we analyze China's influence in Europe! 🌍

China's GDP growth dropped to 4.8% in 2024, with weak domestic demand and rising deflationary pressures at the forefront. Alicia Garcia-Herrero 艾西亞's latest analysis for #CHOICE explores this ongoing economic slowdown. Key points: 📌Domestic consumption’s contribution to GDP fell from 4.3% in 2023 to 2.4% in 2024. 📌Investment growth slowed, contributing just 1.3% to GDP. 📌Deflation and overcapacity weigh on the economy, driven by weak demand and a struggling real estate sector. The recent Central Economic Work Conference announced fiscal and monetary stimulus measures, including a RMB 10 trillion local debt swap and eased real estate policies. Will these efforts stabilize China’s economy or fall short? Read the full analysis for insights! 👇

China’s Zhuhai Summit highlighted: 🔹 Russia’s Su-57 fighter and Viking systems captivated Chinese interest. 🔹 Discussions on future aerospace and defense cooperation. 🔹 Growing Sino-Russian alignment in tech, energy, and geopolitics. Russia’s participation signals deeper cooperation despite global isolation. With EU scrutiny over #China’s neutrality in the Ukraine conflict, what does this summit tell us about the future of Sino-Russian relations? Find out more in the new #CHOICE article by Marketa Vasickova! 👇

📢 We are happy to introduce Agnes Szunomar, Head of the Institute of Global Studies at Corvinus University of Budapest and a senior research fellow at the HUN-REN CERS Institute of World Economics / HUN-REN KRTK Világgazdasági Intézet. 🎙️ In this preview, Ágnes shares why she joined the #WiCH project, emphasizing the importance of empowering women in the field of China studies. As a leading expert on China’s economic footprint in Europe, Ágnes brings invaluable insights into Chinese foreign direct investments and corporate activities. Listen to Ágnes’s story and discover her perspective as part of the WiCH initiative! 👏

🌍 The 2024 US presidential election marks a turning point in global politics. What lies ahead for US-China-Russia relations and the balance of power? In the new Voice for CHOICE episode, 吴薇Vivian Wu, CEO of Dasheng Media, and Maria Repnikova, China political communication scholar, share their insights on these critical developments. 🎧 Don't miss this episode for a deep dive into the election’s far-reaching implications!

Why are Europe's political extremes aligning on China? Ivana Karásková’s latest article for The Diplomat reveals how Europe's far right and far left find common ground in their approach to Beijing. Key takeaways: 🔹 The far right prioritizes sovereignty & economic pragmatism while downplaying China’s human rights violations. 🔹 The far left critiques Western hypocrisy and embraces China’s state-led model as an alternative to neoliberalism. 🔹 Both extremes resist the EU’s assertive China policies, raising concerns about foreign influence and espionage scandals. 📖 Explore how these dynamics shape #China-#EU relations and influence European politics.

Six years ago, when I first started China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe (CHOICE), the biggest challenge we faced wasn’t just understanding China - it was the perception of our region. From a Western perspective, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) seemed like a blank spot on the map of China expertise. The narrative was clear: “There are no real China experts in CEE. The region itself is little more than a collection of China’s Trojan horses united in the so-called 16+1 format.” It was a frustrating but motivating starting point. Fast forward six years, and today CHOICE has a network of more than 130 brilliant analysts specializing in China. We also educate young China hands in our Future CHOICE summer program. Looking back, it’s almost surreal that anyone ever doubted our region’s ability to contribute to this field. But it also serves as a reminder of how far we’ve come - and how far we can still go. This year marks a new milestone. We’re thrilled to announce a collaboration with the fantastic colleagues from European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and OSW – Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich / Centre for Eastern Studies, Poland, generously supported by the Stiftung Mercator GmbH. Together, we’re launching a project that aims to bring the voices of Central and Eastern Europe to the forefront of European policymaking on China. Our goal is clear: to ensure that the unique perspectives and expertise from CEE shape Europe’s approach to China. We want our region to not only be heard but to co-lead, offering insights rooted in our distinct experiences and understanding. This journey has been about proving what we knew all along - that expertise isn’t defined by geography or outdated assumptions. It’s built through collaboration, hard work, and an unwavering belief in the value of diverse perspectives. To everyone who’s been part of this journey - heartfelt thank you. And to those just joining us - we can’t wait to shape the European China debate together. AMO - Association for International Affairs

We’re thrilled to announce a groundbreaking collaboration between AMO - Association for International Affairs’ #CHOICE network, European Council on Foreign Relations, and OSW – Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich / Centre for Eastern Studies, Poland, supported by Stiftung Mercator GmbH! This project is designed by the region, for the region, amplifying CEE perspectives in Europe’s China policy. Key Objectives: 💡 Integrate CEE insights into Europe’s China debate 💡 Produce targeted research on China’s influence in CEE (e.g., industrial policies, strategic culture) 💡 Host workshops in CEE capitals to connect experts, policymakers & stakeholders Goals: 🎯 Foster EU resilience by incorporating regional diversity 🎯 Build bridges between CEE & Western Europe, ensuring balanced, inclusive strategies This initiative unites expertise from our networks to shape a cohesive, Europe-wide response to the challenges posed by China. Stay tuned for impactful outputs & events! 🤝 Special thanks to our partners: ECFR, OSW, and the incredible support from Mercator Stiftung.

🌟 Excited to highlight Dominika Remžová, a China Analyst at AMO - Association for International Affairs and #WiCH co-chair for #Slovakia! Dominika’s work focuses on Chinese economy, industrial policy, and foreign policy, making her a valuable part of WiCH’s mission to enhance gender diversity in #ChinaStudies. Through joint research, mentorship, and promoting women’s perspectives in policymaking and public debates, WiCH is driving change in the field. 🌍 We are delighted to have Nika on board, helping to build a more inclusive and innovative community of China analysts! ✨

In a fascinating turn of events, some European far-right and far-left political parties—despite their ideological differences—are finding common ground in their alignment with China. This "marriage of convenience" has a potential to shape EU-China relations and raises questions about foreign influence and political manipulation across Europe. Some of these groups echo Beijing’s narratives to serve their distinct goals, from economic pragmatism and nationalism on the far-right to critiques of Western imperialism and capitalism on the far-left. Both, however, oppose the EU’s assertive stance on China, advocating instead for policies that align with Beijing’s interests. China, aware of this dynamic, employs influence operations to embed its messaging. Tactics range from funding fringe media to courting political representatives. A fringe, yet interesting example is the recently started Czech YouTube channel World through Raptor’s Eye, which repurposes Chinese state media content (mostly CGTN) with local subtitles and AI moderators, spreading pro-Chinese narratives. These developments highlight the growing challenges to European democracy, where ideological divides are exploited by external actors to erode trust and stability. Understanding these tactics and bolstering transparency are vital steps to safeguard democratic institutions. Read the full article in The Diplomat 👇 https://lnkd.in/eAnvZCHV