China – Page 5

Germany after Merkel – Charting a new Course on Foreign Policy?

With the official election of Olaf Scholz as the new German Chancellor by the newly constituted parliament (the Bundestag) on 8 December 2021, the 16-year-long era of Angela Merkel as head of the German government came to an end. Along with Merkel’s farewell ended the governing role of her conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), after achieving a record low of voter shares in the September 2021 parliamentary elections.

Infrastructure Financing in Sri Lanka: Lessons Learnt and Future Collaboration

Over the past decade, Sri Lanka has seen a steady rise in foreign debt, largely as a result of unsustainable infrastructural loans. This debt was exacerbated by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the highly remunerative tourism sector majorly impacted. In early 2021, the government was forced to declare a state of economic emergency amidst a distressing fall in the value of the Sri Lankan Rupee.

Stairway to Heaven or Highway to Hell? The EU’s Global Gateway and Expanding Economic Statecraft

On 1 December 2021, the EU launched its brand new infrastructural development scheme – “The Global Gateway”. By pledging to mobilise up to 300 billion EUR in investments by 2027, the EU is adding significant firepower to its toolkit of economic statecraft.

An Opening Gambit, or a Losing Gamble? – Lithuania’s “New Direction” on China

In view of the growing tensions and most recent developments in Lithuania’s relations with China, this op-ed assesses the causes of their current dispute, related EU perspectives and the potential for a 27+1 approach towards China.

Right on Track or off the Rails? – The Impact of the Laos-China Railway on Lao PDR

With the inauguration of the Laos-China Railway and the starting of its operations between Vientiane and Kunming, Laos is entering a new era. This Policy Brief assesses the politics beyond the railway, its risks and benefits.

Venturing to the North: The Chinese Quest for Arctic Legitimacy

China seeks to strengthen its circumpolar ties to gain legitimacy as an Arctic stakeholder. Meanwhile, the EU is following a similar path, attempting to balance the display of restraint and the desire to secure its own geopolitical interests in the Arctic region.

What Prospects for Afghanistan’s Future Development?

Thanks to an uninterrupted presence of Chinese investors in Afghanistan, favored by China’s more welcomed non-interference policy, there seems to be room for a stronger role of Beijing in Afghanistan’s state re-building process. While the Taliban is seeking help from the international community as a whole, and in spite of the fact that the EU is going to disburse a significant amount of money in the form of aid, it is uncertain whether the conditional approach endorsed by the EU will grant it a possible central role in the future of Afghanistan’s development.

Event Report available for the Conference on The Changing Geopolitical and Geo-Economic Dynamics in East Asia

Event report available for the conference organised by the Antall József Knowledge Centre in cooperation with the European Institute for Asian Studies on the changing geopolitical and geo-economic dynamics in East Asia

EU-South Korea FTA: A Ten-Year Perspective

2021 marks the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union