Frustrated Relations?: China with Central and Eastern Europe

The book explores China's foreign strategy and policy toward Central and Eastern Europe through the "China-CEEC" Cooperation Mechanism, focusing on China's leading role and its organizational development. It discusses the geopolitical changes in the region after the Cold War and China's interest in Central and Eastern Europe due to its frontier stability, national security, economic expansion, and search for new sources of energy and markets. The book highlights the importance of the region in China's "Belt and Road" strategy and the "China-CEEC" Cooperation Mechanism's role in Chinas "Go West" strategy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 156 pages
Publication date: 10 August 2023
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

Chinas Foreign Strategy and Policy toward Central and Eastern Europe through the “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism
Chinas foreign strategy and policy toward Central and Eastern Europe have been shaped by a range of factors, including its frontier stability, national security, economic expansion, and search for new sources of energy and new markets for made in China products. The geopolitics of Central and Eastern Europe have undergone dramatic changes since the end of the Cold War and the sudden and shocking collapse of the Soviet Union, with an increase in public discussion in China about the transformation from the planned economy to market economy and the perception of the region as the gate to Europe through the Silk Road. These factors have played a crucial role in shaping Chinas interest in the region.

Recognition of the importance of the region culminated in the recent Chinese grand strategy of “Belt and Road,” which highlights Central and Eastern Europe as the essential link in Chinas plan New Silk Road strategy. In this regard, the “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism has a crucial role in Chinas “Go West” strategy.

The “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism is a bilateral mechanism between China and the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) that was established in 2012. It aims to promote economic cooperation, trade, and investment between China and the CEECs, and to facilitate the integration of the CEECs into the global economy. The mechanism has been successful in achieving its objectives, with China becoming the largest trading partner of the CEECs and the CEECs becoming more integrated into the global economy.

The formation and evolution of the “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism can be traced back to several factors. One of the key factors is the increasing economic interdependence between China and the CEECs. China has become the largest trading partner of the CEECs, with trade between China and the CEECs reaching over $1 trillion in 2018. This has led to a significant increase in economic cooperation and trade between the two regions.

Another factor is the political and diplomatic relations between China and the CEECs. China has established diplomatic relations with all of the CEECs, and has signed a number of bilateral and multilateral agreements with them. These agreements have provided a framework for economic cooperation and trade between the two regions.

The “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism has been characterized by a number of organizational development issues. One of the key issues is the heterogeneity of the CEECs. The CEECs are a diverse group of countries with different economic, political, and social systems. This heterogeneity has made it difficult for the mechanism to develop a coherent framework for economic cooperation and trade.

To address this heterogeneity, the “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism has adopted a number of measures. One of the measures is the establishment of a number of working groups and committees to address specific issues related to economic cooperation and trade. These working groups and committees have been successful in developing a number of policies and programs that have helped to promote economic cooperation and trade between the two regions.

Another measure is the promotion of regional integration. The “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism has been successful in promoting regional integration by encouraging the CEECs to participate in regional economic organizations such as the European Union (EU) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). These organizations have provided a platform for the CEECs to engage in economic cooperation and trade with other countries in the region.

The “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism has also been characterized by its emphasis on cooperation in the two primary dimensions of great powers engagement and localization. Great powers engagement refers to the relationship between China and the CEECs in the global economy, while localization refers to the relationship between China and the CEECs in the local economy.

Great powers engagement has been a key focus of the “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism. China has been actively seeking to increase its economic influence in the CEECs, and has been investing in a number of infrastructure projects in the region. These projects have included the construction of highways, railways, and ports, as well as the development of energy and mining industries.

Localization has been a key focus of the “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism as well. China has been actively seeking to promote the development of local industries in the CEECs, and has been providing financial support and technical assistance to local businesses. This has helped to create jobs and improve the quality of life for people in the CEECs.

However, the “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism has also faced a number of challenges. One of the key challenges is the asymmetry of interactions between China and the CEECs. China is a much larger economy than the CEECs, and has a much more developed infrastructure. This has led to a situation where China has been able to dominate the economic cooperation and trade between the two regions.

To address this asymmetry, the “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism has adopted a number of measures. One of the measures is the promotion of fair trade practices. China has been actively promoting fair trade practices in the CEECs, and has been working to address issues such as intellectual property rights, labor rights, and environmental protection.

Another measure is the promotion of regional integration. The “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism has been successful in promoting regional integration by encouraging the CEECs to participate in regional economic organizations such as the EU and the APEC. These organizations have provided a platform for the CEECs to engage in economic cooperation and trade with other countries in the region.

In conclusion, Chinas foreign strategy and policy toward Central and Eastern Europe have been shaped by a range of factors, including its frontier stability, national security, economic expansion, and search for new sources of energy and new markets for made in China products. The “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism has been successful in promoting economic cooperation, trade, and investment between China and the CEECs, and has been characterized by a number of organizational development issues. While the “China-CEEC” Cooperation Mechanism has faced a number of challenges, it has been successful in addressing these challenges and has played a crucial role in Chinas “Go West” strategy.

Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789819937295
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023