About: Belt and Road Initiative
EU, Central Asia touch base virtually in turbulent times
EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell and Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen held a teleconference on Tuesday (17 November) with ministers from the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia, with which the EU is trying to forge closer relations.
Lithuania to support ‘those fighting for freedom’ in Taiwan
Lithuania's new ruling coalition agreed on Monday (9 November) to commit their incoming government to support "those fighting for freedom" in Taiwan, threatening to hurt the small EU member's relations with China, a potential investor in its main port.
To Belgrade and beyond: Beijing exports China model of virus management
Last month, six Chinese medical professionals stepped off an Air Serbia jet in Belgrade to a red-carpet welcome from President Aleksandar Vučić and an array of cabinet ministers. After elbow-bump greetings, Vučić kissed Serbia’s flag, then China’s.
Kazakhstan will remain ‘locomotive’ of Eurasian integration – President
Kazakhstan and Russia, which are among the founders of the EAEU, will continue to remain the “locomotives” of Eurasian integration, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the Munich Security Conference on Friday (15 February). Tokayev, who was elected last June...
Norway’s ‘northernmost Chinatown’ eyes Beijing’s Arctic investments
Each year, during the Lunar New Year celebrations, a small Arctic Chinatown takes shape near Norway's border with Russia and Finland. It's an indication of how China, though a non-Arctic state, is increasingly eyeing opportunities in the region.
European firms get ‘crumbs’ from China’s Belt and Road
China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an investment plan aiming to connect Europe with Asia, is sidelining European companies and Brussels should review its competition law to level the playing field, a business lobby said on Thursday (16 January).
We welcome Chinese investment, Greece’s digital minister says
The Greek government is open to the idea of further Chinese investment into a range of public and private sectors, including in the field of telecommunications, the country's digital minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, told EURACTIV on Tuesday (3 December).
EU almost invisible at major Silk Road forum in Georgia
No high-level EU Commission official was to be found at the opening of a two-day Silk Road Forum in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Tuesday (22 October), which was attended by 2,000 delegates from some 60 countries, including several EU member states.
‘Almost impossible’ to rival China’s business clout in Central Asia
“China is coming with an offer nobody can refuse, while the EU is coming with an offer nobody can understand." For many in Central Asia, that phrase – although intended as a joke – best summarises the European way of doing business.
East-West corridor: ‘Hard’ versus ‘soft’ connectivity?
A conference organised by EURACTIV on ‘Global Eurasia – connectivity as a driver for peace, stability and security’ raised questions such as “greener” connectivity, in line with Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen’s priorities. But diplomats from the region were more focused on infrastructure.
Eurasia comes together in Nur-Sultan, but differences are still big
The 21st century should be defined by cooperation between Europe and Asia. That was the message of the fourth Eurasian conference, held in Kazakhstan’s capital Nur-Sultan on Tuesday (24 September). However, differences among participants prevented it from achieving concrete results.
Chinese ambassador asks EU for evidence that Huawei is a ‘security threat‘
The European Union needs to show “concrete evidence” that the Chinese tech giant Huawei is a security threat, China’s Ambassador to Slovakia Lin Lin told EURACTIV Slovakia in an interview.
Kazakhstan’s new president vows to pursue controlled democratisation
Kazakhstan’s new President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered on Monday (2 September) his first major speech following his election last June, defining his policies in all fields of the economy and society.
Fact check: Has Europe surrendered its south to China?
According to French President Emmanuel Macron, Europe has made the mistake of systematically handing key European infrastructures in southern Europe to the Chinese. EURACTIV has done a fact-check.
Scandals in Kyrgyzstan highlight dubious Chinese business practices
Kyrgyzstan was shaken by a major corruption scandal involving a Chinese company while the country’s capital Bishkek was hosting a ministerial meeting of the five Central Asian countries earlier this month. EU officials told EURACTIV this experience should serve as...
Slovak president attacks Beijing’s human rights record
Slovakian president Zuzana Čaputová has criticised Beijing for not respecting human rights, during a visit by China's foreign affairs chief on Wednesday (10 July). Wang Yi was in Slovakia to discuss the involvement of the Visegrád Four in the Silk Road project.
Central Asia ministerial welcomes the EU’s new strategy for the region
Gathered in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on Sunday (7 July), the Foreign Ministers of the five Central Asian countries welcomed the new EU Strategy on Central Asia recently adopted by the EU.
Turkey, Russia and China covet Western Balkans as EU puts enlargement on hold
Unless the EU accession process of the Western Balkans picks up the pace, the six countries of the region may examine alternatives for their countries’ external orientation, including boosting relations with China, Russia, Turkey and the Gulf States, a report...
CAREC economic corridors: Almaty-Bishkek and many more to come
The experience of the first economic corridor in Central Asia is Almaty-Bishkek, and the second in preparation, Shymkent-Tashkent-Khujand, were highlighted as blueprints for myriads of others to follow, at a debate in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan.
China puts gentler face on Belt and Road, hits back at critics
China sought to put a gentler face on its massive plan to recreate the old Silk Road at a summit that ended on Saturday (27 April), saying it must do more to explain the programme and boost sustainability even as state media hit back at critics.
European bloc not considering joining China’s Belt and Road plans
EU officials confirmed that the bloc is not considering joining China’s Belt and Road initiative on Friday (26 April), contrary to what German Economic minister Peter Altmaier has previously said.
Shareholders block China’s €9bn bid for Energias de Portugal
Shareholders in Portugal’s biggest company, Energias de Portugal, on Wednesday (24 April) blocked a €9 billion takeover bid by the state-owned China Three Gorges (CTG) Corporation. The rejection of the bid by the Chinese energy behemoth comes amid growing unease...
China to recalibrate Belt and Road, defend it against Western criticism
China is expected to promote a recalibrated version of its Belt and Road initiative at a summit of heads of state this week in Beijing, seeking to allay criticism that its flagship infrastructure policy fuels indebtedness and lacks transparency.