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👉 The previous government adopted a pragmatic China policy and froze engagement with Taiwan. 👉 The new Prime Minister Janez Janša is a staunch supporter of Taiwan. 👉 Slovenia might incrementally step up engagement with Taiwan, mainly pursuing stronger trade links.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 30/09/2026

🤝 #Georgia and #China upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic #partnership. Yet economic gains remain limited. ✍ Ioseb Dzamukashvili writes that Georgia’s strategic #hedging between China and the West risks becoming a strategic illusion. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/georgias-chi...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 24/09/2026

📸CHOICE team: @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social (Team Lead & Analyst), Jan Liska (Project Manager), Paulína Ovečková (PR Coordinator & Analyst), @sensehofstede.nl (Head of Brussels Office & Analyst), Selena Orly (Deputy Team Lead & Analyst), and Konrad Szatters (Editor & Analyst) who could not make it.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 24/09/2026

💬 We discussed how to bring you CEE expertise on China more effectively, as well as CHOICE's plans and priorities. We also met colleagues from other teams at @amo.cz and discovered many shared research interests.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 24/09/2026

📢 Last Wednesday was a very important day for CHOICE, as we met in person at our Prague office! 🥳 With part of the team based in Brussels, we rarely get the opportunity to work side by side. The team-building session was a valuable chance to connect.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 23/09/2026

👉 And of course, the impeccable @amo.cz organization team: Ivana Karásková, Paulína Ovečková, Mariana Prerovska, Štěpánka Lukešová, Anna Stejskalová & Jan Liska.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 23/09/2026

👏We are grateful to all WiCH Co-Chairs and look forward to the next chapter of WiCH with Agnes Szunomar, @abachulska.bsky.social, Ana Krstinovska, Andreea Leonte, @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social, Katja Drinhausen, @malinoud.bsky.social, @sariarhohavren.bsky.social, Selena Orly, Vida Mačikėnaitė &others.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 23/09/2026

🏵️The time spent together was also valuable for strengthening the WiCH network, as we found ways to connect beyond the working sessions – from an evening in Kutná Hora with a private tour of the Sedlec Ossuary to a yoga session in between workshops.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 23/09/2026

3️⃣ Mentoring – developing an individual mentoring programme as well as online sessions addressing practical career challenges. connecting emerging experts with experienced women in the field.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 23/09/2026

2️⃣ A public database of women experts on China – making it easier for journalists, conference organizers, think tanks and other institutions to find qualified women with relevant expertise.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 23/09/2026

1️⃣ The WiCH Audit – tracking gender representation at China-related events and podcasts, using data to identify gaps and progress. See the results of our 2024-2025 audit here: chinaobservers.eu/women-insigh...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 23/09/2026

We looked at how we can bring more women experts👩‍🦰 to the forefront of Europe's China debate – constructively and with practical tools that will shape WiCH’s next phase, supported by Stiftung Mercator GmbH. The Co-Chairs shaped how each pillar of WiCH will look like🧵

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 23/09/2026

📢 Last week, our sister-project Women Insight on China (WiCH) brought together its Co-Chairs from across Europe to the Czech Republic for a two-day retreat full of workshops. 🪄

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 23/09/2026

🚗🔋Chinese EV sales in Western Europe are growing despite tariffs. Neil Thompson writes how climate goals, security concerns and trade tensions are shaping Europe’s growing reliance on Chinese green technologies. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/chinas-green... Originally published by @thediplomat.com

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 21/09/2026

Today at CHOICE, Konrad Szatters writes about why Poland-Taiwan relations are flourishing, although without official recognition and changes in the Polish diplomatic position. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-quiet-co...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 17/09/2026

🤫 Something is brewing... while we are waiting for our #WiCH co-chairs to arrive at the very first #Women Insight on #China meeting! WiCH is our very exciting sister-project you will definitely be hearing about in the near future. 👩‍🦰 📎 chinaobservers.eu/women-insigh... @amo.cz

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 16/09/2026

🗳️The 2027 #French presidential #election will shape European #China policy. Do you know where candidates stand on China? ✍ @emma-belmonte.bsky.social examines the prospective presidents' China-related statements and proposed foreign policy. A must-read on France:🔗 chinaobservers.eu/how-will-fra...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 14/09/2026

🗓️✍A must-read before October: @sensehofstede.nl analyzes the current Brussels–member states dynamics and how the upcoming months could shape the future Brussels–Beijing relations. Read the article:🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-eu-has-t...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 11/09/2026

This would not have been possible without the help of the CHOICE community. We are very grateful to all our reviewers for their time, expertise and thoughtful feedback. #China #CentralAndEasternEurope #CEE #ChinaPolicy #EUChina #DeRisking #Geopolitics #ForeignPolicy

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 11/09/2026

👉 What matters is not whether a country is “for” or “against” China, but what role its government believes Beijing should play in its security, economy and foreign policy – and how that role is changing.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 11/09/2026

🔹The region cannot be meaningfully divided into simply “pro-China” and “anti-China” countries. The audit identifies five distinct policy trajectories: 🔸 Security-first skeptics 🔸 Managed pragmatists 🔸 A transition case 🔸 Political openers 🔸 Structurally constrained actors

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 11/09/2026

🔹Some countries increasingly view China through the lens of security and strategic dependencies, while others maintain pragmatic economic ties or seek closer engagement.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 11/09/2026

Key takeaways: 🔹CEE is not moving in one direction on China. 🔹#Russia’s war against #Ukraine, China’s alignment with Moscow, uncertainty over #US policy, domestic political shifts and economic exposure to China are reshaping governments’ approaches to Beijing.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 11/09/2026

📢 Big announcement📢 CHOICE has just published the first #CEE-#China policy #audit! @ivana_karaskova, Selena Orly & Konrad Szatters examined shifts in the China policy of 19 CEE countries during the 2025-2026 period. What did we find? Read the paper📜👇 chinaobservers.eu/central-and-...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 09/09/2026

📈 China's record-high trade surplus reflects a strategy built around industrial strength, financial statecraft, and geopolitical leverage. ✍Martin Mühleisen argues the surplus is the visible byproduct of Beijing's deliberate strategy aimed at self-sufficiency.👉 chinaobservers.eu/why-chinas-e...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 07/09/2026

🤖 While the #US continues to dominate key parts of the #AI ecosystem, #China is seeking to shape the #rules and partnerships that will define its future. In today's CHOICE article, Ronny Sasmita explains implications for Europe and middle powers. 👀Read the piece: chinaobservers.eu/china-us-alg...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 02/09/2026

🗣️ Michael Malinconi writes that the EU is increasingly adopting NATO’s harder-edged language on China, after growing economic concerns over Beijing’s trade practices and support for Russia. Read the article: 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-evolutio...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 01/09/2026

📬Subscribe to our #newsletter to receive fresh CEE-China updates this Thursday! 👉 amo.ecomailapp.cz/public/form/... ✍ This month we take a closer look at #Lithuania's #China policy & Beijing's answer to EU's newest #sanctions.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 31/08/2026

🫷 What would the latest US #sanctions bill mean for #Russia, #China, #India, and #Iran? Maia Nikoladze writes that if passed, the bill would put greater pressure on Russia by targeting its energy revenues & imposing tariffs on major buyers of Russian #oil & #gas. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/what-the-lat...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 28/08/2026

🎙️In the newest episode of China Observers, @emma-belmonte.bsky.social discusses CHOICE's pilot audit of the diverse #CEE #ChinaPolicies with authors @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social, Selena Orly & Konrad Szatters. Tune in to find out more! 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/central-and-...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 26/08/2026

China’s new Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law does not stop at China’s borders. ✍Jozef Huljak writes about the law, its implications, and the international response to it. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/beijings-eth...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 26/08/2026

🤔 Western Balkans continue to engage with China, but the nature of their engagement is changing and is far from unified. ✍ Selena Orly writes how countries across the region are balancing economic openness to China with their commitments to the EU and NATO. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/china-in-the...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 24/08/2026

China’s new Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law does not stop at China’s borders. ✍ Read today’s CHOICE article by Jozef H. to learn more about the law, its implications, and the international response to it. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/beijings-eth...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 19/08/2026

📉 🏗️ Chinese lending to the Western Balkans is declining, yet Chinese companies continue to win major infrastructure contracts. Stefan Vladisavljev writes how new sources of financing allowed China to move from a creditor to a contractor. Read the article🔗 chinaobservers.eu/after-the-lo...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 17/08/2026

🇵🇱🇨🇳 China placed two Polish tech institutions on its export control list following EU measures targeting Chinese companies supplying to Russia. Antoni Łukasik explains why the Polish institutions were targeted and what the move means for 🇵🇱 high-tech. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/why-did-chin...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 12/08/2026

@chinaobservers.bsky.social Read today’s CHOICE article by Sense Hofstede to learn how China’s vision of great-power responsibility also helps legitimize Russia’s claims in Europe. chinaobservers.eu/xi-jinpings-...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 10/08/2026

@chinaobservers.bsky.social In July 2026, China placed two Polish entities on its export control list. Yet this move is unlikely to change Warsaw’s approach to China. Read today’s CHOICE article by Konrad Szatters to understand why. chinaobservers.eu/beijings-fir...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 05/08/2026

@chinaobservers.bsky.social 🚗🔋Chinese EV and battery manufacturers expand across CEE & reshape the region's automotive future. But what opportunities and risks does this transformation bring? ✍️Ágnes Szunomár explores various implications: 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/green-transi...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 03/08/2026

@chinaobservers.bsky.social 🤔 Could Andrej Babiš's return to power reshape Czechia's approach to China? @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social explores what is changing and what is not.✍ Read the article 👉 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/is-a-czech-c...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 31/07/2026

🎙️Why is #China advancing its civilian & military #nuclear capabilities? 📈In this episode of China Observers, Emma Belmonte talks to Tong Zhao (@carnegieendowment.org) and Paulína Ovečková (@amo.cz) about China's rapid development in nuclear energy. 🎧 Listen👉 chinaobservers.eu/chinas-nucle...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 29/07/2026

@chinaobservers.bsky.social 💸Chinese FDI is making its way to Europe, and we need to learn how to deal with it. @sensehofstede.nl analyzes Europe's options and explains what 💡lessons can be taken from SE Asia, which experienced previous waves of Chinese FDI. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-eu-needs...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 27/07/2026

@chinaobservers.bsky.social ✍ Paulína Ovečková writes about China's #nuclear energy expansion. Learn: 1️⃣ Why #China struggles to sell its reactors abroad 2️⃣ Why #Beijing sets unrealistic nuclear targets 3️⃣ How nuclear exports create decades-long #dependency 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-one-unsu...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 22/07/2026

@chinaobservers.bsky.social ✍️CHOICE Fellow Stefan Vladisavljev writes about key changes in Serbia-China relations. Main takeaway? Cooperation moved from🏗️ infrastructure to🤖 AI, tech, and nuclear energy agreements, with📉less overall investment. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/serbias-new-...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 20/07/2026

@chinaobservers.bsky.social In 2025, #Azerbaijan joined the Central Asian Consultative Meeting (C5), turning it into #C6. Ioseb Dzamukashvili Sekhniashvili explains what it means. 🔗https://chinaobservers.eu/azerbaijan-and-the-c6-fueling-a-strategic-autonomy-pivot-in-central-asia/

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 15/07/2026

✍ @bajramgeci.bsky.social presents the underexplored relations between China & Kosovo. A must-read about how China's support for Serbia, a state that most actively contests Kosovo’s international position, is reflected in Kosovo's China policy and more... 👇 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/not-recogniz...

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 13/07/2026

Bottom line: Europe is divided on method, but increasingly united on premise: #security first, Russia as the main threat, China as its enabler.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 13/07/2026

💰 Internally, Europe is torn between "Made in NATO" (courting US defense investment) and "Buy European" (capping non-EU content to de-risk from China).

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 13/07/2026

⚔️ Ukraine and Taiwan (once separate) theaters may be starting to blur into one.

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ChinaObservers @chinaobservers.eu · 13/07/2026

🔍 An investigation uncovered a secretive Russia-China #military tech forum, reportedly working on next-gen air defense and an "anti-Starlink alliance."

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