Welcome to the 71th issue of the CEEasia Briefing.
In this issue, we dissect the following topics:
- European Commission adopts ResourcEU Action Plan
- Spanish King visits China
- Taiwan and Poland sign economic cooperation pact
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1. Europe’s efforts to boost its supply chain resilience
What’s going on? On 3 December, the European Commission presented its industrial initiative RESourceEU, aimed at strengthening the bloc’s supply-chain resilience and supporting its manufacturing base, especially in its automotive sector. This comes after the recent Nexperia spat, which saw European car makers face production disruptions following Beijing’s retaliatory move to ban exports of Nexperia chips manufactured in China. The episode once again underscored Beijing’s willingness to weaponize Europe’s strategic dependencies.
Going deeper… RESourceEU builds on the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) but seeks to close several implementation gaps, most notably in financing, which remains a key challenge to the launch of European projects in critical raw materials. The European Commission plans to mobilize €3 billion in financing over the next year. The initiative focuses on securing essential inputs such as rare earths, lithium, and cobalt for key sectors including automotive, defense, aerospace, and advanced semiconductors. It introduces concrete tools and platforms to protect industries from geopolitical and price shocks, including mechanisms for joint purchasing and stockpiling. The commission is prioritizing Strategic Projects, fast-tracking permits and promoting partnerships with like-minded countries to diversify supply chains.
This means… The initiative is a welcome step in the right direction for Central European industries. The automotive sector remains the backbone of the region’s economies and is among the most vulnerable to Beijing’s trade coercion. This vulnerability extends beyond the recent Nexperia dispute, which exposed dependencies on legacy chips, to the October 9 announcement of export controls on rare earths, lithium-battery-related items, and processing technologies. Although these restrictions have been suspended for one year, earlier export controls remain in place, and Beijing is very likely using this time to prepare for more effective implementation. According to the Czech Battery Cluster, if the announced controls had taken effect, battery manufacturers in Poland would have been directly affected, which would in turn have impacted automotive producers in Czechia and Slovakia.
Furthermore… Both Poland and Czechia are set to play a role in Europe’s efforts to localize and secure raw material supply chains. The European Commission has already designated two projects in each country as strategic, including lithium extraction and processing for battery production in Cínovec, manganese extraction and processing in Chvaletice, and a rare earth element processing facility for permanent magnets in Puławy.
2. Spanish King visits China
What’s going on? Spanish King Felipe VI is the first European monarch to have paid an official visit to China in seven years. During his trip, he was accompanied by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and a large group of corporate leaders from key sectors, including pharmaceuticals, energy, and automotive. The trip, which took place during the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Madrid and Beijing, marked a symbolic and practical step in strengthening bilateral ties.
Going deeper… It is not surprising that Spain is the first EU country to send a head of state to China amid tense relations between Beijing and both Washington and Brussels. In this context, some other EU governments have recently postponed or scaled back their engagement with Beijing due to diplomatic friction. In contrast, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has already visited China multiple times, while this was King Felipe’s first visit since taking the throne. The visit underscores Spain’s foreign policy approach toward China, which prioritizes economic engagement and diplomatic visibility. Madrid wants to deepen trade and welcomes Chinese investment, including large-scale projects such as battery production facilities. And it comes amid strong economic performance by Spain; the country is forecast to grow its GDP by 2.9% this year, making it the fastest-growing country in the EU.
This means… Spain’s strategic positioning has sparked debate among other EU capitals and in Washington, where some view Spain’s openness with suspicion. In addition, it contributes to the existing disparity in approaches towards China among other EU member states, such as Hungary and Slovakia, which also maintain a more open policy towards Beijing. This is not least because the lack of a coherent policy threatens to undermine the bloc’s growing initiatives to address its dependence on China and develop a more comprehensive approach focused on economic security.
3. Taiwan and Poland sign economic cooperation pact
What’s going on? On 14 November, Poland and Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to support the development of special economic zones and industrial parks, and renewed an MoU on cooperation in SMEs, innovation, and startups. The agreements were concluded during the 13th bilateral economic consultations in Wrocław, held as part of Taiwan’s economic delegation visit to Poland.
Going deeper… Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs, Cynthia Kiang, led the largest-ever Taiwanese economic delegation to Poland (over 100 participants) to attend the 21st Taiwan–Poland Economic Cooperation Forum in Łódź, which focused on green energy, energy storage, automation, and ICT. The delegation then proceeded to the “ReBuild Ukraine: Construction and Energy Exhibition” in Warsaw, before concluding with bilateral economic consultations co-chaired by Deputy Minister Kiang and Poland’s Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Michał Jaros. The visit and the newly signed memoranda underline the growing interest on both sides in further strengthening business ties and diversifying cooperation.
This means… Poland is Taiwan’s sixth-largest trading partner in the EU and seventh in terms of accumulated FDI. Warsaw consistently ranks among Taipei’s most active European partners, with a long-standing pattern of robust political and economic engagement. This sentiment is also reflected at the “bottom”, in public attitudes: according to CEIAS research, Polish respondents hold the most favorable views of Taiwan among the V4 countries, broadly see Taiwan as separate from the PRC, and show strong support for expanding bilateral cooperation.
Furthermore… The timing and scale of the delegation, as well as the focus on green technologies, energy security and rebuilding Ukraine, show a shared effort to deepen practical cooperation. This comes as Europe reshapes its supply chains amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions. For Poland, closer ties with Taiwan support its ambitions in advanced manufacturing and energy transition. And for Taiwan, Poland offers a politically friendly environment and a gateway to Central Europe’s industrial ecosystem. The renewed institutional frameworks (among other interactions) signal that Taiwan–Poland cooperation is likely to deepen in the coming years, particularly in sectors of strategic importance and competitiveness.
Quick takes on CEEasia developments
CHINA | Slovakia’s Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatization last month stated that it still does not have a clear overview of Chinese technology in its critical infrastructure and remains in “expert dialogue” with Beijing. This is as other EU states phase out high-risk suppliers, including Sweden and Germany, both of which have already ordered the removal of Huawei and ZTE from their 5G networks.
CHINA | At the 19th China–Poland Joint Economic Cooperation Commission meeting in Beijing on November 4, both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, and infrastructure. China urged Poland (and the EU) to avoid discriminatory trade restrictions and settle frictions through dialogue within the WTO framework. At the same time, Poland said it wants to boost agricultural exports to China and welcomes Chinese investment, especially in new energy, EVs, and logistics.
VIETNAM | President of the Czech Senate Milos Vystrcil arrived in Vietnam in mid-November for a 5-day visit at the invitation of Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man. Accompanied by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and eight more parliamentarians, they met with Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary To Lam and State President Luong Cuong, among other officials, to strengthen bilateral ties and the newly established Strategic Partnership.
VIETNAM | Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kalinak visited Hanoi on November 18 to hold talks with Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam. The two sides discussed appointing a Slovak defense attaché to Vietnam and expanding cooperation in personnel training, including language and specialized courses, cybersecurity, bomb and mine clearance, war-remediation, and non-traditional security challenges.
SOUTH KOREA | Poland has taken delivery of another batch of South Korean K9 self-propelled howitzers (about 21 units), bringing its total to over 200 as Warsaw rapidly expands artillery stocks. The shipment is part of a $2.4-billion contract signed after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine for 212 K9s by 2026, within a much larger Poland–South Korea cooperation package meant to modernize Poland’s land forces.
