EU-China Interviews
Hear opinions of EU-China experts and decision-makers
JAKUB JAKÓBOWSKI: Geopolitics of Connectivity Competition - The Curious Case of Central and Eastern Europe
In today’s episode, we discuss ways in which geopolitics increasingly affects global connectivity, how China’s connectivity proposal compares to that of the EU, and what should the EU do in the context of connectivity becoming a battleground for Sino-American rivalry. It is through this lens that we will take a look at the Central and Eastern Europe (including the EU’s Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood) to see how those dynamics play out in practice.
Jakub Jakóbowski is the Coordinator of the Connectivity in Eurasia Project, as well as a Senior Fellow at the China Programme at the Centre for Eastern Studies, a public think-tank based in Warsaw. He specializes in China's international political economy, as well as CEE-China and EU-China relations. We highly recommend his report 'The Silk Railroad. The EU-China rail connections: background, actors, interests' as well as his publications on the China-CEE 17+1 format.
IULIU WINKLER: Open Strategic Autonomy and EU-China Relations - Is Trade a Panacea?
In today’s episode, we discuss EU’s diversification of supply chains, the idea of change-through-trade and the new buzzword that you can hear all over Brussels - the open strategic autonomy. All this sheds some light on topics that can we expect to come up in EU discussions on China in the coming months.
Iuliu Winkler is an MEP from EPP Group, the Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, within which he is the rapporteur on China, and also a member of the EP’s delegation for relations with the PRC. Prior to becoming an MEP, Mr. Winkler was the Communications Minister as well as the Minister-Delegate for Trade (Head of Foreign Trade Department) in Romania.
BJÖRN JERDÉN: Sino-Swedish Relations - Standing Up for Values While Managing Interests
In today’s episode, we take a look at relations between Sweden and China, which say a lot about the challenge of balancing values and interests in China policy. We discuss a number of topics, such as the detainment of the Swedish citizen Gui Minhai, Sweden’s 2019 China strategy, and the costs of political fallout with China. All of this in order to draw lessons for the EU and other member states of the block on how to handle systemic rivalry with China.
Björn Jerdén is the Head of Asia Program at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, where he focuses his research on China and frequently comments on Sino-Swedish relations. He has been a visiting fellow at National Chengchi University, National Taiwan University, and Harvard University. We recommend that you read his recent publications: “Sweden: Not quite friends in need with China amid the COVID-19 crisis” and “China’s propaganda campaign in Sweden, 2018–2019”.
TAMÁS MATURA: Hungary's China Policy - Orbán's Illiberal Cooperation and Classified Details of Belgrade-Budapest Railway
In this episode, we take a look at Hungary’s China policy and some of the key projects of Sino-Hungarian relations, including the controversial Belgrade-Budapest railway. But we also tackle some wider questions, such as whether Hungary’s China policy is driven primarily by national interest or the personal vision of its prime minister.
Tamás Matura is the Founder of the Central and Eastern European Center for Asian Studies, a permanent Assistant Professor of Corvinus University of Budapest, and a founding member of the European Think Tank Network on China. He has worked as a research fellow of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs and served as an adviser on China to the Minister of National Economy, as an editor of the China Strategy of Hungary, and as an author of the BRICS Strategy of Hungary.