The US-China trade war has helped normalize sanctions as a tool of statecraft. In the latest dispute between China and Japan over Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan, the risks of Beijing’s growing use of economic pressure are back in focus. This article traces the evolution of China’s economic coercion, examines Japan’s diversification strategy,… Continue reading China’s economic coercion: The case of Japan and the lesson for Europe
As Georgia slides deeper into authoritarianism, the West has responded with political sanctions and the suspension of aid. Yet these steps are being quietly blunted by a parallel stream of Western-backed development finance that continues to flow through international financial institutions. Even as Brussels and Washington distance themselves politically, taxpayer funds continue to finance major… Continue reading Europe’s money, China’s companies, Georgia’s authoritarians: The paradox undermining Western leverage
This CEIAS report offers the first comprehensive, bottom-up analysis of Europe-Taiwan relations across 30 European countries. By systematically examining bilateral ties rather than treating Europe as a single actor, it provides a new empirical foundation for assessing the scope, depth, and current limits of Europe’s engagement with Taiwan. Since 2020, Europe’s approach to Taiwan has… Continue reading Partners in need, partners indeed? Tracking Europe-Taiwan relations amidst global disruption
Geopolitics is increasingly shaping EU–China scientific collaboration. A new policy proposal suggests the EU is moving toward excluding Chinese entities from most strategic research areas, reflecting the securitization of knowledge production amid growing technological rivalry and concerns over dual-use technologies. Key takeaways: The draft Horizon Europe Work Program for 2026–2027, if adopted, would fundamentally reshape… Continue reading The EU realpolitik turn in research cooperation with China
Estonia, the smallest Baltic state with only 1.3 million inhabitants, hosts 18 higher education institutions, including public universities, universities of applied sciences, a private university, and scientific research institutes. Given the limited exchanges between Estonia and China at the state level, fewer than half of these institutions have engaged in cooperation with Chinese counterparts. Although… Continue reading Estonia: A blind spot for risks in a tech-focused partnership with China
