As China rises as an economic and an international power, new relationships are being forged with all areas of the world including Central and Eastern Europe. This book explores how this relationship is developing. It considers how China's links with Central and Eastern Europe fit in to China's overall international relations strategies. It looks at economic and trade ties, diplomatic initiatives and the role of the European Union, and examines China's bilateral relations with the different states of the region. These relationships are particularly interesting because before the end of communism in Eastern Europe China had many direct links with the countries of the region.

Introduction: The EU and China in Central Asia: (Un)natural Partners? / Fabienne Bossuyt and Bart Dessein -- Part 1. Historical and Contemporary Contexts of China and the European Union in Central Asia. Central Asia between China and Europe: Reflections on historical identity -- The Context of China's Pursuits in Central Asia: The role of historical memories in Chinese foreign policy making -- Sketching the Context: A Comparative overview of the EU's and China's engagement with Central Asia -- Part 2. Geopolitical Implications of the European Union's and China's Engagement with Central Asia. European Engagement with China's Belt and Road Initiative: A Central Asian perspective -- The Other Actor: Gauging Russian reactions to potential EU-China cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative in Central Asia -- Varieties of Hierarchy and Central Asian Resilience -- Central Asian Countries and Their Trade Relations with the European Union and China: Towards cooperation or competition? -- The EU and China in Central Asian Energy Geopolitics -- Part 3. Soft Power and Governance Perspectives on the European Union's and China's Engagement with Central Asia. Soft Power Vehicles: An assessment of China's soft power and Sinophobia in Central Asia -- Between the EU, Russia, and China: Cultural diplomacy competition in Central Asia -- Russia, China and the European Union in the Framework of 'Greater Eurasia': An emerging Eurasian governance system -- Towards a New Model of Transnational Governance in Anti-corruption: Hopeful new beginnings in Central Asia? -- EU-China Relations in Central Asia in the Context of the Belt and Road Initiative: A regional(ist) perspective -- Conclusion: What Scope for EU-China Cooperation in Central Asia in the Context of the Belt and Road Initiative and Beyond?

This edited volume analyzes the changing nature of the relationship between China and Europe. This relationship has been subject to significant shifts and transformations, not least because of the enormity of China's social and economic development since1978 and the political consequences this has brought about in international politics. The global financial crisis of 2008-09 and the subsequent sovereign debt emergency in Europe have also altered the nature of the interactions between the two regions. China has become a more assertive, confident, and active player on the global stage. Its economic development is now a major pillar of the global economy and its growth has been conducive for a fragile economic recovery to take place in Europe and beyond.

This book sets out to analyze how the OBOR initiative will influence the world’s geo-political and geo-economic environment, with specific regard to the ‘Belt and Road’ countries and regions. It evaluates what opportunities the OBOR can offer them in light of the constraints they face, paying particular attention to how security issues may keep some nations from fully participating. Questions are also asked about the tension and conflict along the ‘Belt’ and ‘Road’, which, after all takes in the Middle East’s most tumultuous regions, as well as the much disputed South China Sea. Finally, consideration is given as to how the world’s other economic powers will react when the OBOR inevitably brings about capital and resource competitions.

This edited volume presents a trans-disciplinary and multifaceted assessment of the strategic and economic impacts of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on three regions, namely Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Central Eastern Europe. The contributions to this book demonstrate the requirement of a more realistic view concerning the anticipated economic benefits of the New Silk Road. The contributors critique the strategic effects of China’s opaque long-term grand strategy on the regional and global political order. Specific countries that are covered are Finland, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Poland, and Thailand. Additionally, case studies from South Asia and Africa, notably India and Ethiopia, enable insightful comparisons. Encouraging readers to critically challenge mainstream interpretations of the aims and impacts of the BRI, this book should interest academics and students from various disciplines including Political Science, International Relations, Political Geography, Sociology, Economics, International Development, and Chinese Studies.

As China rises as an economic and an international power, new relationships are being forged with all areas of the world including Central and Eastern Europe. This book explores how this relationship is developing. It considers how China’s links with Central and Eastern Europe fit in to China’s overall international relations strategies. It looks at economic and trade ties, diplomatic initiatives and the role of the European Union, and examines China’s bilateral relations with the different states of the region. These relationships are particularly interesting because before the end of communism in Eastern Europe China had many direct links with the countries of the region.