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Secretary general Zhao: Chinese modernization and CEEC’s development make significant contributions to the peace, stability, and prosperity of Europe and the world

 Zhao Zhimin, secretary general of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) addressed at the opening ceremony to  Scholars and representatives of think tanks from China and several Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) gathered to discuss the shared development of China and CEEC in a changing world.

Secretary general Zhao  said the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism since 2012,has advanced both Chinese modernization and CEEC’s development, while making significant contributions to the peace, stability, and prosperity of Europe and the world at large.

Hua Chunying, vice minister of foreign affairs of China stressed  the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism underpins the healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations. 

“In the face of an uncertain international landscape, China and CEEC should prioritize solidarity to unleash new vitality from their traditional ties“, said Hua, vice minister.

Balázs Orbán, political director for the Hungarian Prime minister called for further deepening of interconnectivity that is essential for every nation, Orbán hopes European countries will achieve substantive developments through mutually beneficial cooperation while enhancing exchanges and cooperation with China to jointly address the various challenges confronting humanity.

According to Former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Jiri Paroubek, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a visionary project which activities have led to the construction of numerous high-speed railways, expressways, ports, and airports.

Adrian Severin, former deputy prime minister of Romania, emphasized that China-CEEC cooperation has accelerated the convergence of incomes in Eastern and Western Europe, thus fuelling the integration of the continent.

Dr. Jasna Plevnik:We can see many crises around the world, and the chances  the current world order to collapse are increasing but it  has not reached its endpoint.

 You can read the speech of Jasna Plevnik here.

“Since its beginning the High- level Symposium of Think Tanks of Central and Eastern European has been sensible for the environment in which China-CEEC has  operated   focusing itself to anticipate and explain  external challenges to the cooperation. 

It has been complex task because  it will probably never be a perfect model for predicting future events, risks, and crisis. Even when the changes are visible, we can miss what is on the horizon. In Europe people don’t know will the war in Ukraine turn towards a greater  war or to peace. 

The Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, said the only constant thing in life is the change. The same goes for the world politics. A changing world should be a usual process, but  problem starts  when the world enters to regression instead of  progress and modernisation.

We are witnessing the new trends in the post-Cold War order create a friction because they are  more clashing than adapting with the current order’s rules and standards. That ruins the main function of the world order to maintain an equilibrium and peace in relations among states. 

We can see many crises around the world, and the chances  the current world order to collapse are increasing but it  has not reached its endpoint.

It is painful to say that Europe is now much unstable  than it was in 2012, when Cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European Countries started. 

The China-CEEC, which is in its nature an anti-geopolitical type of cooperation, has been faced with the EU’s turn towards geopolitics, that already has had an impact on the mechanism’s enlargement. If the EU’s pivot to geopolitics persists that could cause  a further  division among the partners within the China-CEEC too.”

The EU’s pivot to geopolitics

The European Union defines Russia as the biggest  geopolitical threat to its geographical and cyber space and  prepares itself for some future  large-scale war with Russia by creating operative plans  for Europe's military readiness. In December the EU's first-ever defence commissioner will officially take office.

 The EU member countries such as Hungary, Slovakia and the EU candidate  country Serbia don't look at Russia as  geopolitical threat for Europe. 

Mounting of  geopolitical atmosphere and  the war in Eats Europe has made of Europe highly risky region for foreign investments. That  influences the China-CEEC’s business goals too. 

A week ago, the European Central Bank (ECB) has SKWS the members of the bloc to stimulate economic growth and resolve the problem of political uncertainty.  Even the ECB bank is warried about the geopolitical situation in the EU seeing it  as a factor that endangers the growth of the Union.

The EU’s policy towards China dependent of the USA

When we discuss about improving the cooperation between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and creating an  agenda for the next medium-term period, we must stress the European Union had changed and shaped its diplomacy towards China  for the worse under influence of the USA and its geostrategic goals. The relations between Europe and China slowed down, and the CAI in which years of negotiation were embedded has been frozen

How the next US Administration, which emphasis also will be countering China's advancement, will affect Brussels relations with China remains to be seen.

As every country, the EU should first  align with its own interests. There are many predictions that Europe and China could  cooperate  if the new Administration attacks their economies and ignores multilateral international organizations. 

Those predictions are not so unrealistic because ties between China  and the EU have been booming. Data confirms that. 

More and more investments from overseas are being directed into China's hi-tech manufacturing which is an important part of China's  reform goals. 

On the China- CEEC cooperation: cannot stay the same

The China-CEEC has been under constant external and internal pressure to adapt and innovate its content, tools, and actions to avoid stagnation and strengthen its impact. 

The mechanism has already proven its ability to modernise itself by expanding its agenda towards high-quality development that is a significant part in China’s reform goals.

There are various ways it can theoretically and pragmatically rejuvenate itself, but our focus is on its relationship with other Chinese initiatives. Currently, this relationship exists at certain levels, but it lacks clear definition.

As part of its ongoing revitalization, the China-CEEC should focus on creating stronger and more direct connections to China's established initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative and other global projects, particularly the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) and the concept of a Global Community of Shared Future.

The word "cooperation" in the name of the mechanism highlights the essence and foundation of all initiatives launched by China following the China-CEEC. While there are many similarities between China's regional and global initiatives regarding visions, principles, goals, and measures, the most significant aspect is China's theoretical and financial support for advancing these initiatives.

The global community of shared future unites all of China's global initiatives because its modus operandi relies on the implementation and actions of other China’s global initiatives and the China - CEEC as well. 

This new partnership between Serbia, China, and a global community of shared future has the potential to expand  the agenda of China and Central and Eastern Europe cooperation, positioning the China-CEEC  as one of the arms of the Community in Europe. 

The China-CEEC is often viewed as closely aligned with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which was launched in 2013. At that time, the BRI's focus on Europe was significant, and the European Union was receptive to deepening its interdependence with China. However, the momentum for connecting Europe with China has stalled, particularly among the EU’s political elite.

The European Union's detachment from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been particularly highlighted during the Biden administration, which adopted a confrontational stance toward the BRI and even pressured Italy to withdraw from it. Although the EU and the US announced plans to create their own global initiatives, these have yet to come to results. The West currently lacks a clear purpose on the global stage and the resources necessary to enhance connectivity among different regions of the world.

The recent geopolitical changes in Eastern Europe, which holds a significant position within the routes of the Belt and Road Initiative, have diminished the BRI's influence in Europe. However, this trend should be viewed as temporary, as China has not altered the strategic vision of the BRI to connect China, Asia, and Europe.

Anyway, the BRI has made substantial progress and expanded into new geographical areas and collaborative forms.

The BRI’s energy  for evolution could enhance China-CEEC cooperation, giving it new momentum. Strengthening the connection between the BRI and China-CEEC cooperation would make the mechanism feel less isolated in Europe.

The China-CEEC can enhance its agenda by connecting with the Global Civilisation Initiative, emphasizing collaborative projects that focus on the shared values between Chinese and European civilizations rather than their differences.

The networking of China-CEEC with other initiatives will not threaten the mechanism’s sovereignty nor its uniqueness and focus on a specific area of Europe, but rather rejuvenate the China-CEEC.

Thank you for listening to me.”