Оснажено економско присуство Кине на Западном Балкану: геополитички изазов за Европску унију?
Enhanced Economic Presence of China in the Western Balkans: Geopolitical Challenge for the European Union?

Summary/Abstract: This paper presents and examines China’s influence in the Western Balkans, aiming to determine if increased economic presence of China in the region poses a geopolitical challenge for the European Union. The study begins by explaining China’s approach to the Western Balkans and then conducts a thorough review of its economic activities in the region. From transportation infrastructure project, through energy, all the way to Chinese investments in other economic sectors, the author showcases the dynamic and growing intensity of China’s economic influence in the Western Balkans. Determined patterns of Chinese economic behaviour in the region are contextualised within the framework of the Western Balkans’ European integration. Rather than providing a conventional conclusion, the author addresses the research question concerning the geopolitical rivalry between China and the EU in the Western Balkans by adopting the lenses of the evolved international environment. The ongoing necessity of balancing against Russia, particularly following its invasion on Ukraine, is gradually positioning China as a (un)willing partner of the EU. Consequently, this changing dynamic could lead the EU to reassess its perception of China as a geopolitical challenger in the Western Balkans, capitalising on the existing common interests between Brussels and Beijing in the region.

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