The Importance of the Western Balkans in China’s Foreign Policy
The Importance of the Western Balkans in China’s Foreign Policy

Author(s): Marcin Przychodniak
Subject(s): Politics, Regional Geography, Economic policy, International relations/trade, Health and medicine and law
Published by: PISM Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych
Keywords: China; Western Balkans; foreign policy; COVID-19; economic policy;
Summary/Abstract: China’s cooperation with the Western Balkans through the “17+1” format and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), among others, is primarily political. In the economic sphere, Chinese investments are to a large extent only declarations, and trade is marginal in comparison to cooperation with the EU or others. China’s goals are to gain political influence in future EU countries and limit their cooperation with the U.S. Competition with China in the region requires more intense EU-U.S. cooperation, made more difficult by the pandemic.

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