Welcome to the 72nd issue of the CEEasia Briefing.
In this issue, we dissect the following topics:
- Slovak Indo-Pacific Strategy
- Taiwan-Poland Drone Cooperation
- French President visits China
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1. Slovakia issues its Indo-Pacific strategy
What’s going on? On 10 December, the Slovak Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs presented its Strategic Concept for Slovakia’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific. The document is a key policy framework setting out Slovakia’s long-term political, economic, and security priorities in the region.
Going deeper… Slovakia is the latest European country to adopt an Indo-Pacific strategy. The EU adopted its own strategic document on the region in 2021, and several member states have since published similar strategies. This reflects the Indo-Pacific’s growing importance to European prosperity, as the region generates around 60% of global GDP and accounts for roughly two-thirds of global economic growth. The new concept aims to assess the Indo-Pacific’s global significance, evaluate current dynamics, and identify opportunities for Slovak cooperation with countries in the region. Key recommendations include strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations, supporting trade and investment, enhancing cooperation in science, research, and technology, and promoting people-to-people links.
This means… The concept publicly acknowledges the Indo-Pacific’s strategic importance—and that Slovakia has national interests and opportunities tied to developments there. It also broadens Slovakia’s foreign-policy focus beyond Europe, aligning it with the wider trend of European states recognizing the Indo-Pacific’s global role. The strategy highlights the region’s economic potential, from dynamic markets and investment prospects to opportunities for Slovak exporters and investors to diversify beyond the EU and neighboring regions. As Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár emphasized last December, implementing the concept’s measures will also require a well-established diplomatic network across the region. Slovakia is expanding its representation accordingly, including by reopening embassies in Canberra and Kuala Lumpur, and opening a new embassy in Manila.
2. Taiwan-Poland Drone Cooperation
What’s going on? The recent trip by Taiwan’s economic minister, Kung Ming-hsin, to Poland between 9 and 11 December marked several milestones in Taiwan–Poland cooperation. Two stand out: the opening of the Taiwan Trade and Investment Service Centre in Warsaw—Taiwan’s fourth such overseas investment hub, following those in Prague, Fukuoka, and Dallas—and the signing of an MoU between two state-backed entities: the Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance (TEDIBOA) and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems.
Going deeper… The MoU aims, among other objectives, to develop a “non-China” UAV supply chain between the two countries and to advance cooperation in green, emerging, and disruptive technologies—areas widely seen as central to the fourth industrial revolution and increasingly relevant to future combat and deterrence. UAVs are just one of several defense-related sectors where both sides hope to deepen cooperation, alongside semiconductors, AI, and green hydrogen. Indeed, the second meeting of the Taiwan–Poland Hydrogen Working Group—established in 2023—took place just a week after Ming-hsin’s visit.
Furthermore… Poland has emerged as a major buyer of Taiwanese drones, importing nearly 60% of Taiwan’s drone exports in 2025. This trend has been building for several years. Driven by both national and economic security concerns, several CEE states (including Lithuania and Czechia) have gradually expanded cooperation with Taiwan to include a range of civilian and dual-use technologies.
This means… Europe’s securitization turn coincides with developments in Taiwan’s own defense strategy, where drones are increasingly central to the three-phased Overall Defense Concept. Following the 2023 National Defense Report, which set a 2028 target for Taiwan to field 700 military and 3,000 dual-use UAVs, TEDIBOA was established in 2024 by the Ministry of Economic Affairs to unify major industry players and accelerate development of Taiwan’s drone sector. In 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs created a drone diplomacy task force to boost production and exports by expanding co-development with allies. Further initiatives under consideration include proposals for an international drone academy and a pilot alliance.
Nevertheless… Taiwan faces several notable challenges. Beyond existing capacity gaps, particularly in domestic production of components such as flight-control and vision-sensing chips, Taiwanese suppliers also face cost disadvantages relative to their Chinese counterparts. These issues are compounded by the broader structural challenge of reorienting a customer-centric manufacturing model toward one prioritizing national resilience, an area where industry and government priorities often diverge. At the same time, Taiwan’s industrial and infrastructural strengths mean its drone ecosystem, with scalable production capacity, is likely to be indispensable to efforts to diversify defense supply chains away from China.
3. French president visits China
What’s going on? In early December, French President Emmanuel Macron visited China and warned that the EU could adopt tougher trade measures, potentially including higher tariffs on Chinese goods, if Beijing does not move to reduce the imbalance and improve market reciprocity.
Going deeper… The EU has long run a negative trade balance with China. In 2024, the EU’s goods trade deficit with China reached €305.8 billion. While Brussels continues to pursue “de-risking” rather than decoupling—reducing strategic dependencies without undermining economic stability—it has also signaled that higher customs duties remain an option if needed.
This means… As the dispute escalates, China has imposed provisional duties of up to 42.7% on certain EU dairy products following the initial phase of an anti-subsidy investigation, meaning final rates could still change. Brussels views the move as retaliation for the EU’s tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China. Any further EU trade measures are expected to align with the European Commission’s new economic-security “doctrine”, unveiled in early December as part of its Economic Security Package.
Quick takes on CEEasia developments
SOUTH KOREA | Korea-based Schaffengott has strengthened its European presence by establishing a joint venture in Czechia to develop and commercialize AI- and IoT-driven disaster-safety solutions. The venture aims to position the country as a regional hub for smart safety technologies, including AI-enabled fire and emergency-response systems.
SOUTH KOREA | The European Commission has opened an investigation into the Czech government’s support plan for two new nuclear reactors at the Dukovany plant, citing potential breaches of EU state-aid rules. The project, backed by state loans and a long-term guaranteed electricity price, was awarded in June under a €16 billion contract to South Korea’s KHNP.
SOUTHEAST ASIA | The Czechoslovak Group (CSG) has secured a multi-billion-dollar contract to supply small-caliber ammunition to an undisclosed Southeast Asian defense ministry. Production will be carried out across CSG’s Ammo+ facilities in Europe and the United States. The deal underscores CSG’s growing footprint in global defense markets.
INDIA | India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said he hopes to conclude an India–EU free trade agreement soon, despite negotiators missing the 2025 deadline. Talks have advanced through recent technical rounds and a series of high-level EU visits to New Delhi. Industry now expects a possible announcement at the upcoming India–EU Summit around Republic Day 2026.
