Central and Eastern European Center for Asian Studies

European Think-tank Network on China - 2018

In its fourth annual report, the European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC), of which Ifri is a founding and coordinating member, examines how political values – namely democracy, human rights and the rule of law – shape Europe-China relations today. China experts from seventeen leading European research institutions have compared how these values inform the foreign policies of European states and the EU toward the most powerful autocracy in the world, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and how the PRC influences the debate on political values in Europe. The results display four different patterns of behavior among European countries: vocal and active; active and discreet; passive; and passive and potentially counteractive.

ChinfluenCE - 2018

The ChinfluenCE project’s first policy paper summarizes the findings of large-scale research of media reporting and political agency related to China in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia from 2010 till mid-2017. It provides novel insight into the formation of Chinese influence in the three countries, relying on a unique dataset based on an analysis of more than 7,700 media outputs and a series of interviews with agenda setters and insiders. Besides that, the paper comes up with a set of recommendations for the above-mentioned countries, such as to define strategic industries, include media assets into the definition, and adopt screening mechanism for investment in key infrastructure.Add News Story here

European Think Tank Network on China - 2017

This report by the European Think-tank Network on China (ETNC) brings together original analysis from 19 European countries to better understand these trends and their consequences for policy making and Europe-China relations, including at the bilateral, subregional and EU levels. As in all ETNC reports, it seeks to do so using a country-level approach. Through these case studies, including an introductory explanation and analysis of EU-wide data, the report aims to identify and contextualize the motives for Chinese investment in Europe and the vehicles used. However, the originality of the report also lies in the analysis of national-level debates on China, Chinese investment, and openness to foreign investment more generally.Add News Story here

European Think Tank Network on China - 2016

The purpose of this report is to provide a comparative perspective of China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative (OBOR), as seen from the various European Union (EU) member states. The Chinese leadership officially launched this framework in autumn 2013, presenting it immediately as a key national concept and foreign policy priority for the years to come.

European Think Tank Network on China

As China’s rise continues to shape and shake the course of international affairs, and Europe enters a new chapter in its collective history, Europe-China relations are becoming more relevant, but also much more complex. Understanding these complexities requires a precise examination of the various state-level bilateral relationships and interests at play between China and the EU countries.

Anastas Vangeli - 2015

One of the key concepts of China's proactive diplomacy under Xi Jinping in the last two years is the New Silk Road, which is comprised of two parts: a) The Silk Road Economic Belt, and the b) Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century. Aiming to improve the connectivity within and between Asia, Europe and the rest of the world by land and sea...

Gabriela Pleschova - Rudolf Fürst - 2015

The Chinese view of hard and soft power in foreign policy differs from the Western understanding of these terms. The authorities’ hard-power practice of mobilizing expatriates to back up Chinese diplomacy and suppress critics overseas undermines China’s soft-power efforts in the West. The street clash that occurred during President Hu Jintao’s visit to Slovakia in 2009 is a case in point.

Vol.4. Nr.1. - 2015

The brand new issue of the Czech Palacký University Olomouc's "Far East" journal on minorities and ethnics in East Asia.

Tamas Matura - 2015

Most Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries view the Republic of Korea (ROK) as one of their most important partners in Asia. Korean firms have invested tremendous amounts of capital in CEE countries, and they share the same political values as well. Even so, literature on bilateral relations and public sentiment is scarce. Here I attempt to provide a comprehensive picture of political and economic relations between certain CEE countries and the ROK. For scientific added value findings are based on 101 interviews conducted with international relations students from four different nations to assess the image of South and North Korea in an international context.

Stanislav Mráz, Katarína Brocková (eds.) - 2014

Proceedings of an exciting conference, held in Bratislava in March, 2014. Prominent experts on China-Visegrad 4 relations gathered to discuss current trends and future perspectives of bilateral ties.

Dragana Mitrović - 2014

The World economic crisis has focused, intensified and notably eased realization of huge Chinese interests in Europe and European Union. On the other side, it has significantly influenced change of the EU’s attitude towards China, which suddenly for some has become appreciated big investor, and even saviour of the EMU through purchasing the EFSF bonds, as well as Union’s economy on the whole. For the others, she remained a threatening imposer...

Dragan TRAILOVIĆ, Bojan KICULOVIĆ, 2014

Chinese rapid and high economic growth has made tremendous impact on global economy, as well as on the global political trends. China has become an important engine of world economy, causing the changes in the international landscape of powers. As part of this, in the last several years, we are witnessing the growing Chinese engagement in the Central and Eastern European region, especially in the field of economy and investments. Besides its economic impact on region, this will also strengthen the political influence of China in the CEE countries...

Ágnes Szunomár (ed.) - 2014

With rapidly growing outward foreign direct investment Chinese companies increasingly target Central and Eastern European countries, where Visegrad countries – the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – are among the most popular destinations for Chinese investors. Chinese investment in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region constitutes quite a small share in China’s total FDI in Europe (around 10%) and is quite a new phenomenon but since 2006 we could observe rising inflows of Chinese investments in the region which are currently expected to increase due to recent political developments.

Dominik Mierzejewski (ed.) - 2014

On 1 December 2014, together with the University of Lodz Publishing House, we opened a new series of publications entitled Contemporary Asian Studies Series (CASS). This new journal of published work will be devoted to issues regarding contemporary Asia within the political, social and economic spheres. What is additionally important to note, is that the new initiative has been warmly welcomed by the international scientific community...

Rudolf Fürst - Filip Tesar (eds.) - 2013

The process of post-communist transformation in the former Eastern Europe as well as in China definitely ended the quasi-ideological ties between the two sides that were based in their previously existing non-coherent and doctrinaire “comradeship”, and eventually opened up for them a new postideological era of more truly defined relations which lie primarily in national material interests...

Tamás Matura (ed.) - 2013

The essays in the present booklet cover a large portfolio including countries in the focus of the Global Opening policy of the Hungarian Government: India, China, Central and South-East Asia have been at the core of this policy, which gave new directions to the Government from 2010 onwards. In practice, this policy means that we have made strong efforts to further open up our country to the world, towards our traditional partners in Asia, but also in Africa and South America. A special element of Global Opening is the so called “Look East” policy...

Tamás Matura (ed.) - 2011

In order to deal with a selection of the most interesting and acute topics of Asian and Asia–Europe Affairs, the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs has decided

to publish this book, Asian Studies – 2011, and requested the contribution of some of the most outstanding Hungarian experts and researchers. Due to the physical limits of the book, it is impossible to cover all of the current political and economic issues, thus we have tried to collect some of the most stirring ones...

Gabriela Pleschova, Rudolf Fürst - 2010

This study examines the prospects for new European Union (EU) member countries in pursuing their foreign policy objectives in relations with China. Both the Czech Republic and Slovakia cherished an idea of making China an alternative economic partner. However, after 1989, China perceived these states as minor, almost unimportant partners, regardless of their efforts. Their profile was raised by EU accession but there was little change in their strength in terms of bilateral relations with China. The article investigates the failures and partial successes of the Czech and Slovak relationships with China, comparing their different approaches to the balance between focusing on political and human rights issues and the pursuit of economic and business interests.