China’s dominance across the lithium-ion battery supply chain, spanning from raw material mining and processing to final battery production, risks locking the EU into a new form of energy dependence as it races to meet its European Green Deal targets. Key takeaways: The EU is dependent on China for three out of five critical raw… Continue reading From Russian gas to Chinese batteries: Tracking the EU’s new energy dependence
Hungary’s Indo-Pacific positioning is focused on China, and shaped less by mutually beneficial relations than by structural dependence. The incoming Magyar government would most likely not alter this position, but it may begin to redefine its limits. Key takeaways: Incoming Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar is unlikely to break with Chinese economic relations but will… Continue reading From Bridgehead to Boundaries? Hungary’s prospective Indo-Pacific strategy under Péter Magyar
This article introduces a special issue examining how small European countries exercise agency in their relations with an increasingly assertive China. It elaborates the theoretical glue that binds these studies, summarizes their main arguments, and discusses both their specific and collective contributions. The vast power asymmetry between China and these countries, coupled with the increasing… Continue reading Agency amid asymmetry: how small European states shape relations with a rising China
(This is a slightly edited version of a speech given at the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and the EU Democracy Shield Special Committee session “China’s Influence in the EU and Globally” on 5 November 2025). Let me sum up my argument first: China’s challenge to the global governance is primarily driven by its impressive… Continue reading Reshaping global governance: China’s strategy to influence international organizations and reframe international law
