After three years of self-imposed isolation, China has opened up to the world. Xi Jinping has come back to the diplomatic stage and we have seen a renewal of high-level visits. In recent weeks, Beijing has toned down its ‘wolf warrior diplomacy’ and Chinese officials have been trying to find ways to reinvigorate relations with Europe. However, experts have warned that China's charm offensive should not be mistaken for a fundamental reset in China's foreign policy. There remain numerous points of contention between China and Europe, most prominently Beijing's tacit support for Russia’s war on Ukraine. Eastern Europeans’ deepening ties with Taiwan are also likely to further complicate the relationship. China-EU ties in 2023 will thus be dominated by uncertainty and a risk of further deterioration.

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China has positioned itself as a member of the Global South family and has poured billions of dollars into building infrastructure in Africa and Southeast Asia to increase its clout in these regions and popularize its authoritarian development model. China's ability to leverage its influence in the Global South has been reflected in the voting patterns of the developing countries in various multilateral bodies. The US and Europe are struggling to compete with China in the global connectivity and infrastructure race.

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In recent years, risks related to scientific collaboration with China have received more attention. There are growing fears over unwanted technology transfers, breaches of academic freedom, and concerns about ethical norms in research collaboration with China. However, research institutions and universities are often not well equipped to address these challenges. As a result, national governments have developed measures to safeguard their Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) sectors. Policymakers are in search of solutions that strike a balance between protecting academic freedom and tapping into opportunities of cooperating with Chinese partners while strengthening knowledge security.

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Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many have tried to draw a parallel between Ukraine and Taiwan. While it is true that both countries are threatened by a great power in their immediate neighborhood, there are stark differences between their geographic positions as well as the larger geopolitical context. Despite significant differences between the two countries, there are a few lessons that can be learned from the conflict for the Taiwanese. Heightened tensions between China and Taiwan also have profound implications for Japan’s security environment and influence Sino-Japanese relations. Finally, the developments in the Taiwan Strait coupled with Sino-Russian partnership without limits also present an opportunity to explore new avenues for Japan-Europe security cooperation.

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China’s 20th National Communist Party Congress is set to be a major event for China's politics as Xi is heading towards securing another five years as paramount leader. It remains unclear who will remain, be promoted, or retire from the leading party bodies. The composition of the new leadership will unveil the strength of Xi's faction within the party. He will strive to surround himself with loyal party cadres as he needs to further cement his power at times when China's government faces many domestic and international challenges including prolonged lockdowns resulting from zero-covid policies, property sector crisis, Russian war in Ukraine as well as Sino-American tensions over Taiwan. The outcome of the Congress will indicate China’s political direction for the next five years.

China is a unique actor in the field of Science, Technology and innovation. Not only it has declared its goal to become a technology superpower by 2049 but it is also pouring massive financial resources into achieving it. While the Western European countries have become more aware of the risks associated with the scientific collaboration with China have introduced risk mitigation measures, Central European researchers downplay the attractiveness of the research in Central Europe for China and lack awareness of STI goals and priorities.

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India has found itself in a difficult position after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has been a long-standing partner for India in multilateral fora but also in terms of defense cooperation, playing a key role in India’s national security. More broadly, Russia has been seen as a potential balancer of the rising power of China which has threatened India’s interest in the region. At the same time, the growing ties of India with Western partners, including via increasingly closer security cooperation within Quad, have been tested by India’s unwillingness to directly condemn Russia. Jagannath Panda joins this edition of the podcast, to talk about the factors behind India’s position and its broader views of the security environment in the Indo-Pacific and ties with China.

Prior to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the Indo-Pacific was one of the most prominent focuses pushed by politicians from Brussels to Berlin to Paris and beyond. After France, Germany and the Netherlands released their own strategies for the region between 2018 and 2020, the overall EU and Central European nations like Poland and the landlocked Czech Republic has vocalized their own aims. From trade ties with Taiwan, healthcare pacts with India, and defensively minded programs led by France, there is plenty to peruse in terms of EU policymakers' rhetoric.

While the crisis in Ukraine is rightfully attracting attention at present, the apparent "no limits" partnership between Beijing and Moscow could draw the focus of EU officials to the Indo-Pacific again sooner rather than later. To discuss the importance of the region, the aims of key actors in the region within and outside the EU, and the augmented calculus of EU Indo-Pacific aims as war reaches the bloc's borders, Antoine Bondaz joins this important episode.

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While opaque statements from Chinese officials and abstentions at the UN have kept Moscow at arm's length amid the invasion of Ukraine, a joint statement by  Vladimir Putin and  Xi Jinping that proclaimed alignment on key issues like Taiwan and NATO still stokes caution among onlookers of the Sino-Russian relationship, especially within the CEE region. Further still, China has recently made statements to the effect that its cooperation with Russia has "no limits." 

This cooperation has already manifested in terms of information warfare, with China outwardly pushing Russian propaganda related to claims about US biolabs in Ukraine. Further, Beijing has repeatedly expressed support for Russia's security interests, declaring that the West and the expansion of NATO are responsible for the war, having “pushed Russia to the wall.” At the same time, China vehemently rejects sanctions against Russia, even if it can be expected to adhere to them to some extent, careful of avoiding direct damage to its own interests. Moscow has even apparently requested assistance in the form of arms sales from Beijing, though this appears to perhaps be a bridge Beijing is not yet ready to cross, despite its "no-limit" proclamation.

As the conflict escalates however, China may be forced to move from its ambiguous and often self-contradictory stances. To illuminate the murky relationship, a special double episode is in store featuring experts on both China and Russia from the MapInfluenCE project.

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On the sidelines of the Beijing Olympics, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met for the 38th time, issuing a joint statement that may well become a major milestone in bilateral ties. The lone CEE President in attendance upon this momentous occasion was Polish President Andrzej Duda, who know finds his nation dealing with an influx of refugees and a potential security crisis caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Worse yet for the Polish leader, China was apparently cognizant of Russia's designs upon its neighboring nation even as Duda attended the games. 

As the status of Sino-Russian ties remains somewhat uncertain and the potential for military aid by China to Russia now becomes a serious threat, Alicja Bachulska joins the podcast to offer the Polish perspective on the apparent "new era" in international relations that both Beijing and Moscow appear emboldened to pursue, a crucial viewpoint given this is making a significant impact quite close to Poland's borders and, as Bachulska points out, in the information space on home soil.

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