Description

China is a new great power entering a geopolitically tense region of Central Europe, where Russia, Western Europe, and the U.S. have competed throughout the 20th century for influence. China benefitted from growing scepticism towards the West after the 2008 crisis and was looked upon by many in the region as an alternative. At the same time, with most of the economic expectations of China remaining unfulfilled, the frustration of China has grown as well, aided also by the different outlooks of Communism and the general suspicions of great powers in the region. The presentation will look into political, economic, and social aspects of China-Central Europe relations and its implications for Europe, in general, to show that even though China has presented new challenges, it is unlikely to compete on equal footing with the established great powers in the region.

Richard Q. Turcsányi is a Key Researcher at Palacky University Olomouc, Assistant Professor at Mendel University in Brno, and Program Director at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (www.ceias.eu). He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations and further degrees in economy and political science. In past, he conducted long-term study and research stays at the University of Toronto, Peking University, National Chengchi University in Taipei, and the European Institute for Asian Studies in Brussels. His research interests include Chinese foreign policy, relations between China and (Central and Eastern) Europe, and international relations of Asia-Pacific.