China and Central & Eastern Europe: Challenges Ahead

HABOVA, Antonina (antoninahabova@yahoo.com) 

Dr. Habova is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of International Relations, University of National and World Economy, Sofia. She was a chief expert at the Administration of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria (2007-2012). 

A. Habova holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and an M.A. in International Relations from Sofia University, Bulgaria. She has been a visiting fellow at the Robert Schuman Center for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute (Florence, Italy), Freedom House (USA), the Academy of International Business Officials, MOFCOM (China), and Georgetown Leadership Seminar alumnus (Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University). 

Dr. Habova is the author of two books: China: Strategy and Foreign Policy (2018); The European Union and China. Principles, Prospects, Challenges (2018). 

Research Overview 

The region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) appears as a new strategic focus of China’s diplomatic activity. The 16+1 format was launched in 2012 as a specific platform for the development of cooperation between China and the CEE countries. Since 2012, the attitude in CEE towards Sino–CEE relationship has had changing dynamics - from some initial uncertainty about the intentions and goals of China and about the rationales and essence of 16+1 initiative to enthusiasm for the prospects for their relations. Enthusiasm was then followed by some scepticism and even disappointment with the 16+1 format and its development. The paper argues that Sino-CEE relationship has the potential to further deepen and expand but in order to realize fully this potential countries need to objectively evaluate and tackle the existing challenges. Hence, this paper is focused on briefly evaluating three groups of challenges now facing the cooperation between China and the CEE countries. First, these are intra-regional challenges. Second, challenges related to developments within the European Union. The third group includes challenges arising from the growing geopolitical pressure on the CEE region.