“While Western countries are hoarding vaccines, China is parading in the developing countries, declaring that vaccines are a public good. At first, Beijing sent masks around the world. Now it is making a huge diplomatic push with its vaccines.”
Ivana Karásková, Nikkei Asia“China’s retaliation [via sanctions] is a serious strategic miscalculation.”
Matej Šimalčík, Die Tageszeitung“In this way, China can indirectly influence the media through advertisements…there were hardly any negative reports about China or Chinese activities in the country, whereas more positive reports were reported about investments and projects such as the new Silk Road.”
Ivana Karásková, Wiener Zeitung“Local audiences in Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia have increasingly become direct targets of not only ‘mask diplomacy,’ but more complex propaganda efforts promote a positive image of China, strain transatlantic relations and directly attempt to rewrite narratives around sensitive issues.”
MapInfluenCE, Voice of America“In 2015, the nominally private Chinese company CEFC acquired a stake in Empresa Media, securing access to a TV station (TV Barrandov) and some magazines. A study by MapInfluenCE, a group tracking Chinese influence, found the acquisition made China coverage broadly more positive.”
MapInfluenCE, Politico“As the economic results of cooperation are minimal and the political costs are increasingly higher, CEE states are reassessing their attitude towards Beijing.”
Alicja Bachulska, South China Morning Post “For most countries, the overall volume of trade [with China] has been increasing, but mostly due to the increase in Chinese exports. So for most of these countries, the trade deficit has actually grown – that’s not something that they were hoping for.”
Matej Šimalčík, South China Morning Post “The fact that China is supposedly willing to deliver vaccines to the Czech Republic, despite their public disputes over the past twelve months, signifies how well China is aware that it is losing ground in the region.”
Ivana Karasková, Euronews“This Russian short term ‘diplomatic’ victory, the humiliation of Mr. Borrell and the EU as a whole, might have helped to create a momentum for the EU to realize that things are not as they should be.”
Pavel Havlíček, GISP“While Hungary has benefited more economically from cooperation with China than most countries in the region, it is nevertheless disappointing…A fraction of the foreign investment comes from China, and the trade relationship is also of little importance to the Hungarian economy.”
Tamás Matura, Trouw“For a long time, China was seen as a new exciting potential investor that would bring a new impetus to [Central and Eastern European] economies…But in most cases, the actual results of the Chinese investments have fallen behind expectations…The fact that a lot of the investment was not actually job-bringing greenfield investment also made the situation worse. So the expectations that China will be a new promising investor are much more muted now.”
Filip Šebok, Business World“The Balkan countries, in general, are more receptive to the Chinese model of doing business, which China successfully uses in developing countries…There are fewer regulatory hurdles and the friendly positive environment is also a factor.”
Filip Šebok, South China Morning Post