Issue 6/2023 The Dragon in Europe

In this issue of New Eastern Europe, we asked our authors to look at China’s role in the region. They analysed the various aspects of the Sino-Russian axis trying to understand whether it is driven by convenience or a deeper connection between the two powers. In addition, they also looked at China’s presence in Central and Eastern Europe, and especially the 17+1 format which was initially met with some enthusiasm, especially among the more authoritarian politicians. However, the initial support for this format has somewhat waned recently. This shift, especially in Czechia and Lithuania, can be explained by a change of attitude to China’s policy towards Taiwan, the human rights’ violations towards the Uyghur population and China’s ambiguous position in the current conflict in Ukraine.