This post was originally published by Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF).
Central and Eastern Europe’s attention is currently fixed on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the perception of China has been shifting as well. If China is regarded as supporting Russia, Beijing risks falling into the category of an explicit threat alongside Moscow.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, capacities of most of the Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries have been stretched to their very limits. Countries on the borders deal with floods of Ukrainian refugees. Some organize purchases and transport of military equipment to Ukraine. And all assess the challenges posed by Russia to the post-Cold War international order. When all eyes are fixed on Russia, China suddenly seems as a distant and far away power. Yet Central and Eastern Europe have not forgotten China.
Read the whole article here.
