ChinaObservers

Organized by 👇
@amo.cz, @ecfrasia.bsky.social @ecfr.eu, OSW and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania
Supported by 👇
@stiftungmercator.bsky.social

🔗 chinaobservers.eu/sino-russian...

#Disinformation #FIMI #EUChina #InformationWarfare #MediaLiteracy #Geopolitics #ChinaEU

🤝 Unlike Russia, China hasn't triggered a coordinated EU political response — yet
The consensus? Chinese FIMI needs to move from a specialist concern to a mainstream EU policy priority — and Europe needs to shift from reactive debunking to building its own proactive narratives.

📍China's disinformation is going local — targeting municipalities, minority communities, and regional media rather than national capitals
📱TikTok & Instagram are shifting how young Europeans view Beijing — and it's working
💶 The gap is stark: Beijing spends billions, Brussels counters with millions

🌍Last week, experts from across Central Europe, the Western Balkans, and the Baltics gathered in Vilnius to tackle a growing challenge: Chinese foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in Europe.

Key takeaways from the workshop: chinaobservers.eu/sino-russian...

📄Read "Borrowed mouths and laundered messages: China's influence playbook in Europe"👉https://ecfr.eu/publication/borrowed-mouths-and-laundered-messages-chinas-influence-playbook-in-europe/

#EuropeanSecurity #China #Disinformation #ForeignPolicy

🤳local influencers used to launder Chinese narratives
📰state content republished through domestic outlets with origins obscured
🏡messaging carefully designed to feel homegrown rather than foreign

🚨New paper out!🚨China's influence operations in Europe have quietly evolved — and the tactics are more sophisticated than most people realise. @abachulska.bsky.social (@ecfr.eu) @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social & Konrad Szatters map Beijing's emerging playbook👇

China’s Multi-Vector Engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina – chinaobservers As the traditional "northern corridor" for Eurasian trade diminishes in significance due to the war in Ukraine, the Western Balkans are gaining strategic import

🚧This often happens outside the regulatory and governance framework of the #EU.
❓Key question: Can BiH balance Chinese investment with its ambitions for European integration?
Read the article: chinaobservers.eu/chinas-multi...

🚧China is moving beyond infrastructure loans toward a broader strategy combining investment, political ties and soft power.
🚧 From transport corridors to renewable energy projects, Chinese engagement offers #BosniaAndHerzegovina a pragmatic path to modernization.

🌍How is #China expanding its influence in the #WesternBalkans? A new article by Marko Lončar looks at Beijing’s growing role in #BosniaAndHerzegovina.
🔗Read more: chinaobservers.eu/chinas-multi...
👇Highlights

💡New paper on China's influencing toolbox in Europe is out!

The Decapitation of Iran: What Tehran’s Chaos Means for China – chinaobservers This article was originally published in  The Diplomat  and is republished here with the permission of the author. On February 28, 2026, the geopoliti

In short: China's “Westward March” is suddenly blocked, energy access is disrupted, and Belt and Road projects face massive financial risk and China’s credibility as a security guarantor is now questioned. The piece was originally published by The Diplomat.
chinaobservers.eu/the-decapita...

⚡How does the sudden collapse of #Iran’s leadership impact #China and the global power dynamics? Youlun Nie writes that this marks a seismic shift for China’s ambitions in the Middle East.
🔗 Read more: chinaobservers.eu/the-decapita...

CHOICE Newsletter: Between Two Giants: How Central and Eastern Europe Balances the US and China – chinaobservers Dear reader, Across Europe, governments are discovering that “strategic autonomy” is not a slogan but a budgeting, procurement, and permitting question – and th

Strategic autonomy is no longer just a slogan – it's a procurement decision, a permitting question, and a political flashpoint.
Read the full newsletter here 👉 chinaobservers.eu/choice-newsl... #Geopolitics #EUChina #CEE #StrategicAutonomy #ForeignPolicy

📌Poland's sober new realism – transatlantic at heart, but asking harder questions
📌Beijing's latest agricultural tariffs and the leverage game in Brussels

CHOICE Newsletter: Between Two Giants: How Central and Eastern Europe Balances the US and China – chinaobservers Dear reader, Across Europe, governments are discovering that “strategic autonomy” is not a slogan but a budgeting, procurement, and permitting question – and th

🌍 How are Central & Eastern European countries navigating the US-China rivalry? Our latest Newsletter explores:
📌Ukraine's wartime balancing act between Western security and Chinese trade
📌Estonia's sharpening de-risking stance after Baltic Sea cable incidents

📅 1-5 June 2026
📍 Kutná Hora, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Czech Republic
⏳ apply by 8 March 2026
📩 send your CV and cover letter to choice.summerschool@amo.cz
🔗 chinaobservers.eu/future-choic...
Apply or #share with people who might be interested!
AMO - Association for International Affairs

⏰Apply until Sunday, 8 March, if you want to be a part #FutureCHOICE summer school, where young professionals interested in Europe, China, and the Indo-Pacific meet leading experts, challenge their assumptions, and build lasting networks.🤝
Details👇

Don't miss the opportunity to:
🗣️ Discuss & learn about Europe's current approach to the Indo-Pacific
🤝 Meet like-minded peers who will shape Europe's future China policy
📜 Participate in expert-led lectures & one-on-one mentoring
🎮 Experience a multi-day international crisis simulation

⏰5 days left to apply for #FutureCHOICE Summer School!
Details:
📅 1-5 June 2026
📍 Kutná Hora, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Czech Republic
⏳ apply by 8 March 2026
📩 choice.summerschool@amo.cz
🔗 chinaobservers.eu/future-choic...
Please #share with people who might be interested!
@amo.cz

Key takeaway: As tensions rise, Europe is realizing that pivoting to China might not be the solution they hoped for. What do you think? Is this a wake-up call for Europe? Share your thoughts below! 👇
#ChinaRelations #EUPolitics #GlobalEconomy #TransatlanticPartnership #EconomicSecurity #EUChina

Unpacking EU-China Relations in 2026

🎙️A new episode of #ChinaObservers is out! Listen to Etienne Soula unpack the 2026 developments in EU-China relations. 🎧
open.spotify.com/episode/2BOq...

2026 Future CHOICE Summer School – chinaobservers The third iteration of our summer school is here! If you are a young professional, PhD candidate, or advance MA student interested in Indo-Pacific issues, come

🔗 chinaobservers.eu/future-choic...
Please #share with people who might be interested!

2026 Future CHOICE Summer School – chinaobservers The third iteration of our summer school is here! If you are a young professional, PhD candidate, or advance MA student interested in Indo-Pacific issues, come

🗣️ discuss & learn about Europe's current approach to the Indopacific
🤝 meet like-minded peers who will shape Europe's future China policy
📅 1-5 June 2026
📍 Kutná Hora, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Czech Republic
⏳ apply by 8 March 2026
📩 choice.summerschool@amo.cz

⏰10 days left to apply for #FutureCHOICE Summer School! Not sure if it's for you? Let our past speakers and participants convince you — see what they had to say!📹👇https://www.linkedin.com/company/43296625/admin/page-posts/published/

Debt-Trap or Diversification? Montenegro’s Highway and the Limits of China’s Leverage – chinaobservers Montenegro’s Bar–Boljare highway is often cited as an example of Beijing’s “debt-trap diplomacy.” However, although the project has strained public finances and

📖Read more about this multi vector small state strategy: chinaobservers.eu/debt-trap-or...

The €1bn Chinese loan did push #Montenegro close to fiscal collapse in 2021, yet Beijing failed to convert debt into leverage. Podgorica continued aligning with the #EU, supported Western positions on Xinjiang, and pursued accession by 2028. ⚖️

🚘Montenegro’s #BarBoljare #highway is often cited as a textbook case of Chinese “debt trap diplomacy”. Urban Jakša argues that the outcome looks very different: economic exposure without political capture.

🤝When Beijing and Moscow speak of a “no limits” partnership, history invites caution. Konrad Szatters shows that China-Russia relations have long followed a recurring pattern of alignment without trust. ⚖️🔥
Read the full article👉 chinaobservers.eu/what-the-his...

Ep. 15 - Central and Eastern Europe deals with Taiwan, Singapore Air Show, and more - Rti In this episode: - Andreea Leonte and Ivana Karásková talk about how Central and Eastern Euro...

🗣️ @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social and Andreea Leonte gave an interview to Radio Taiwan International (Rti) about how Central and Eastern Europe deal with Taiwan and China, mainly focusing on the example of Romania. 🎧 Listen here: www.rti.org.tw/en/programne...