Today we are looking back to the third edition of the #FutureCHOICE #SummerSchool! Find out all about it👉 chinaobservers.eu/future-choic... Long story short 👇

Today at CHOICE, @sensehofstede.nl maps Chinese military diplomacy in CEE👇 👀 Read the piece and see the interactive map🗺️ with names and ranks of PLA defense attachés 👉 chinaobservers.eu/why-cee-is-i... 🧵

🌍 Is Europe facing its "Macedonian moment"? ✍@vanbergheneu.bsky.social en explores the implications of the Trump–Xi summit for Europe’s strategic future. 👉As Washington and Beijing move toward managing rivalry through interdependence, space remains for the EU... 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/trump-xi-and...

✍ Xi Jinping met Vladimir Putin right after meeting Donald Trump. In a must-read for all following the China-Russia cooperation and the war in Ukraine, Vita Golod writes about what this meeting means for Ukraine. 👉 chinaobservers.eu/what-the-lat... Originally published by The Diplomat.

🗺️ Today we bring an illuminating comparison of CEE perspectives on China's newest Five-Year Plan by Selena Orly. ✍ Read the article and find out how the 15th FYP is perceived in different capitals & how it impacts their China policy👉 chinaobservers.eu/cee-receptio...

🌞Day 3 of #FutureCHOICE #SummerSchool started with a spot-on lecture by Professor Dr. May-Britt U. Stumbaum (The SPEAR Institute), who presented the military & political perspectives of how an Indo-Pacific conflict could affect Europe. @amo.cz

📢 After two years, we return with the third edition of #FutureCHOICE #SummerSchool! This years' cohort is very engaged and ready to explore the most pressing questions of Europe's Indo-Pacific engagement.👩‍💼A recap of all the things we did👇 @amo.cz

🏭If #China dominates in both low and high-tech #manufacturing, is there any space left for other countries?✍Paulína Ovečková explores the idea of a “Double China Shock”, a situation in which China challenges both developing &advanced economies.🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-double-c...

📩 Don't miss the opportunity & subscribe to CHOICE newsletter 👇 amo.ecomailapp.cz/public/form/...

❓What does it mean to be Chinese in Europe today? Chu Yang's fourth entry in a CHOICE Long Reads series, explores how many #ChineseDiaspora communities reject the binary of being “Chinese” or “European” and instead build identities between cultures. 📖 chinaobservers.eu/homeland-in-...

🍚 #FoodSecurity is a big priority for Xi Jinping's #China. Our host Emma Belmonte unpacks China's current food security challenges with @GenevieveDonn in the newest episode of #ChinaObservers #podcast. 🎧Listen to the episode👉 open.spotify.com/episode/4w8k...

📢 On Tuesday, @amo.cz organized a roundtable at the Czech Parliament on Russian and Chinese coordination of disinformation against Europe, together with MP Helena Langšádlová.

📲 Emma Belmonte and Paulína Ovečková, our analysts tracking China's growing social media footprint, spoke to Le Monde about #Chinamaxxing. Read the article 👉 www.lemonde.fr/internationa... #China #SocialMedia #Influence #Influencers

📢New research out! @sensehofstede.nl built a dataset of Chinese MFA & International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC) interactions with the #VisegradFour countries. 📊Combining the data showed how #China expands its diplomatic toolkit🔗 chinaobservers.eu/chinese-part... Takeaways👇

#Spain’s new Asia-Pacific Strategy for 2026–2029 highlights the growing importance of #China in Madrid’s foreign policy. Unai Gómez-Hernández shows how Spain is strengthening ties with Beijing & takes a more pragmatic approach than the #EU. 📖 Read the article: chinaobservers.eu/closer-than-...

🤝 The #Trump - #Xi summit brought strong rhetoric, but few concrete outcomes. Melanie Hart argues that while Washington avoided concessions on #Taiwan, the summit revealed limits in Trump’s broader #China strategy. 🗺️ 📖 Full article: chinaobservers.eu/wheres-the-b... Key takeaways👇

The US–China rivalry is reshaping CEE’s security reality. Konrad Szatters’ analysis of the Trump–Xi summit highlights a pattern: while superpowers manage their competition, CEE is left to absorb the consequences. Read the article: chinaobservers.eu/trump-xi-mee... Key takeaways👇

❓What do you think the results of the Trump-Xi summit will be?🤔 Comment your best guess! ✍

🤝Emma Belmonte writes that as #EP delegations return to China, the mission is clear: balancing the need for dialogue with the imperative to defend European interests. 📖 Full article: chinaobservers.eu/european-par... 👇 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

💸In 2026, the era of "change through trade" is over and #Germany’s view of #China is shifting from partner to rival. Jonathan Lehrer’s analysis shows the nation pivoting toward a new, sober pragmatism. 👉Read the article🔗 chinaobservers.eu/what-shapes-...

📬Our May #newsletter is out! This month, we bring three expert perspectives on Europe's evolving strategic posture in #Asia and toward #China. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/choice-newsl...

📬 Subscribe to CHOICE newsletter to learn about opportunities for EU and South East Asian cooperation 👉 amo.ecomailapp.cz/public/form/...

💰Danylo Stonis shows how #sanctions and structural barriers are testing the limits of the China-Belarus trade partnership. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/china-belaru... Key takeaways👇

❓What does it mean to leave a country, but not its reach? Asks Chu Yang asks in her latest CHOICE Long Read, where she explores how digital connectivity reshapes the lived experiences of Chinese #diaspora communities in #Europe. 👇

How is China impacting Europe locally? Giulia Busnardo explores how this Tuscan city became a high-stakes test for #EU internal security. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/prato-as-an-...

🤺Europe is waking up to the #FIMI challenge. While Russia remains the main disruptor, Konrad Szatters warns that #China is playing a different, more sophisticated game. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/europes-awak... Key insights 👇

🎧Listen to our new #podcast episode on #Chinamaxxing! @emma-belmonte.bsky.social had a very captivating conversation with @zeyiyang.bsky.social from @wired.com and Jessica Imbach about the recent surge in interest in Chinese culture on social media, its implications & the response from Bejing.📱

📢A new episode of our #podcast comes out tomorrow! Emma Belmonte explores the #Chinamaxxing trend, its origins, societal reactions, and implications for cultural perception and soft power with @zeyiyang.bsky.social and Jessica Imbach. Here is a preview... 👇

Is the "special relationship" between #Hungary and #China cooling down? Agnes Szunomar explains all about the expected post-election shift from a politically-driven partnership toward a "pragmatic recalibration." 🔎Read more: chinaobservers.eu/hungary-chin... Key takeaways 👇

🧾CHOICE team was pleased to provide a briefing to EU Commissioner @andriuskubilius.ec.europa.eu on current developments in China-Russia relations. Many thanks for giving this topic the space it deserves.

@mariehiliquin.bsky.social explores China’s sophisticated "dual-track" strategy in the EU. Beijing simultaneously engages: 🫀EU’s regulatory heart in Brussels 🦵its national limbs across Europe Read how this challenges the EU 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-heart-an...

China is positioning itself as a defender of global governance, but is it really offering an alternative world order?🌍 @emma-belmonte.bsky.social writes that Beijing’s vision is less about replacing the system and more about reshaping it from within. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/addressing-g...

🚀 #China is rapidly emerging as a major #space power, expanding its ambitions even to CEE. As Krzysztof Karwowski shows, space cooperation is no longer just about science, it is increasingly tied to #Security ,#Infrastructure, and #Data. 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/dragon-stars...

🗳️ Hungarians caste their votes on Sunday, and you are wondering how the outcome could reshape Hungary’s approach to #China and #Taiwan? Our special #election monitor edition by Réka Koleszár answers all your questions👇 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/orban-or-the...

Or are you asking what is a Chinese era?🤔 Our new article by Paulína Ovečková dives into this latest social media trend called #Chinamaxxing, where China is surprisingly having a viral moment. Find out all about it👉🔗 chinaobservers.eu/the-chinese-...

📱Stephanie Niedenhoff writes that recent developments in Russia point to a shift toward a more controlled, state-centric digital ecosystem with similarities to China's digital space. Read the full article 👉 chinaobservers.eu/the-chinese-...

📩Subscribe to CHOICE newsletter and get insights on the evolving CEE-China policy by regional experts in your email tomorrow! Subscribe here👇 amo.ecomailapp.cz/public/form/...

🍃What happens when distance between home and abroad disappears? In the second part of our #CHOICELongReads series, Chu Yang shows how WeChat📲 shapes everyday life of the #ChineseDiaspora across #Europe. 🔗Read the personal experience of Chu Yang 👇 chinaobservers.eu/homeland-in-...

📢We’re pleased to welcome a new colleague, @sensehofstede.nl, the new Head of our Brussels Office & China Analyst!🥳 🔗To mark Sense's arrival, we’re excited to share his analysis for CHOICE today: chinaobservers.eu/chinas-major... More about Sense & his article👇🧵

🗣️What narratives do China’s FIMI activities push in Europe? 🤔 Listen to the new episode of China Observers podcast to find out! 🎧 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/chinas-forei...

🎙️New episode of China Observers is out tomorrow! This time, @abachulska.bsky.social & Konrad Szatters spoke to @emma-belmonte.bsky.social about Chinese FIMI in Europe - how it works and what we can do about it. 🤔

Today at CHOICE, Konrad Szatters shows that instead of overt propaganda, Beijing increasingly relies on local voices, republished content, and narratives that blend into domestic debates. 🧠

✍️Alexei Hoffman writes that Serbia faces a trilemma where it cannot fully achieve all three goals at once: ❓ Keep Chinese investment (which powers key industries) ❓Align with EU climate rules (needed for accession) ❓Stay competitive in exports (especially steel)

⚖️ #China - #Belarus cooperation is evolving under sanctions. Kateryna Zelenska argues that the partnership is driven by political alignment rather than market liberalization. Key takeaways & link👇

🎙️Looking for a podcast that sums up Europe-China relations in 2026?👀You found it! Listen to this episode of China Observers, where Etienne Soula speaks to our host Emma Belmonte. 🎧 chinaobservers.eu/unpacking-eu...

Big moment today! 🗣️Our lead @ivanakaraskova.bsky.social spoke at Taiwan's Yushan Forum 2026 alongside top government officials and policy experts. Her focus: the dangerous overlap between Chinese and Russian disinformation, what it means for Taiwan, and how to push back.

🛢️What would a Middle East oil and LNG crisis mean for #China and #EastAsia? New analysis by Joseph Webster, Reid I'Anson & Kevin Li explores how energy shocks could reshape regional dynamics.👇 🔗 chinaobservers.eu/what-a-middl... 📖Originally published by Atlantic Council.

🌍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...

🚨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👇

🌍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