China’s approach to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has changed dramatically in recent years. For the last three decades, the region was not high on China’s Europe agenda, which focused mainly on Western Europe. But in 2012, the 16+1 format was unveiled during Prime Minister Wen Jiabao’s visit to Poland, signaling a new approach to the region. Since the announcement of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, infrastructure has become a primary focus for the 16+1. China has both economic and political aims for this unusual grouping of countries, and its investments are raising concerns about transparency and accountability. For now, however, the risks are relatively manageable given the modest scope of investment.
Nov 30, 2017
“Beijing’s star is rising in central and eastern European nations,” reports the Financial Times, citing data collected in collaboration with the CSIS Reconnecting Asia Project.
Nov 27, 2017
The magnitude of the Balkan Silk Road project poses a mixture of opportunities and policy challenges for countries engaging in or seeking to benefit from its implementation.
Nov 20, 2017
Quotes and Quotas is a weekly digest of phrases and facts that help explain Asia’s infrastructure push.
Aug 4, 2017
“For years to come, OBOR looks likely to be the toast of Western boardrooms,” says a new report from the Economist, which draws on Reconnecting Asia’s open-source database of over 2000 infrastructure projects. While Western companies are winning “Belt and Road” business, Chinese firms are participating in significantly more projects.
Aug 4, 2017