China

This Brief sets the stage for an upcoming EUISS series entitled 'Along the road', which will examine the security implications of China’s Belt and Road (BRI) connectivity project. Through a collection of case studies from infrastructure projects and countries situated ‘Along the road’, this series will seek to gather concrete evidence of the success or failure of Beijing’s new geopolitical project. 

This Report turns the spotlight on two major players in the global defence industry: Russia and China. It examines how both countries, however different in their trajectory and ambition, have in recent years narrowed the industrial and technological gap with the European armaments sector and are now openly chal­lenging the West’s traditional superiority in this domain.

This Alert examines how Chinese-financed infrastructure projects in the Western Balkans often serve as a conduit for China’s political and normative influence, exacerbating both the high levels of corruption and governance problems that exist in the region.

Four years after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the ‘New Silk Road’ initiative in 2013, the main thrust of the infrastructure projects has been in Asia. However, the Western Balkans is also becoming increasingly involved in related discussions and projects on its western end.