A Power Shift Underway in Europe? China’s Relationship with Central and Eastern Europe Under the Belt and Road Initiative

Abstract

Dragan Pavlicevic notes that the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative is, and whether has which is widely perceived as a vehicle for China to expand its influence on the Eurasian continent and beyond. This chapter examines the current trends in the relationship between China and Central and Eastern Europe in connection with the One Belt, One Road initiative. China’s engagement of the region has resulted in widespread concerns that Beijing is accumulating leverage over the countries in the region and pursuing goals detrimental to the interests of the region and the dominant regional power, the EU. This study evaluates economic, political, security and normative aspects of China’s engagement of the region in order to determine whether these concerns are well-merited. The findings suggest that China does not possess the leverage to significantly alter strategic and policy choices of Central and Eastern European states and erode the EU’s dominant position in the region. Even if substantial deepening of the ties between China and the region under the One Belt, One Road framework continues, Beijing lacks both the incentives and the means to compete with the EU and pursue the role of a major regional power.