Can China accelerate the green transition in central and eastern Europe?

(Eco Business, 1 Jun 2020) China’s diplomacy in the region has upset the EU, but greater cooperation could deliver climate-friendly infrastructure.

Xi Jinping’s planned “17+1” summit in April may have been scuppered by coronavirus, but that hasn’t stopped the long-running and contentious debate about China’s intentions and impacts in Europe.

The 17+1 forum was founded in 2012 to deepen ties between China and the 17 central and eastern European (CEE) states that span a diverse area from the Baltic to the Balkans. It has prompted excitement in countries eager for Chinese investment – and subsequent disappointment. It has been cast as a pressing strategic threat to Europe and an “empty shell”; considered a conduit for dirty infrastructure development under China’s Belt and Road Initiative and a potential “window of opportunity” for sustainable development.

Now a new report by the China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe (CHOICE) network has challenged the more sceptical views on the significance of China’s relationship with the region, arguing that cooperation is greater than previously thought. 

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Eco Business, 1 Jun 2020: Can China accelerate the green transition in central and eastern Europe?