A small state in Central Europe is emerging as a loud critic of China’s human rights violations. In November 2017, Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico quipped that the country “must care about maintaining a friendly partnership with China, if we pay enough attention to it, we will reap fruits.” This quite illustrates the essence of Slovakia’s engagement… Continue reading Slovakia: A New Challenger of China’s Human Rights Record?
Formation of the first feminist political party in independent South Korea comes as a potential answer to ending pervasive spy cam porn epidemic and strict beauty standards. Yet, a long path separates it from mainstream success. Despite its economic and technological advances and global popularity of its pop music, South Korea is a country that… Continue reading South Korea’s feminists making their voice heard
Autonómia sľúbená na päťdesiat rokov končí pred uplynutím prvého polčasu. Od polnoci 1. júla 2020 vstupujú v Hongkongu do platnosti nové zákony o štátnej bezpečnosti, ktoré umožňujú stíhanie občanov za tresty ako podvratníctvo či vlastizrada. Legislatíva nanútená centrálnou vládou v Pekingu dá čínskym orgánom široké právomoci na stíhanie a väznenie ľudí v Hongkongu, čím sa… Continue reading Toto je koniec Hongkongu, aký sme poznali
The European Union poses itself as a model of liberalism, democracy, and global governance. Yet last year the EU normalized relations with Turkmenistan, one of the world’s most severe dictatorships, in a bid for Central Asian energy access, igniting concerns about the future of EU normative values in the bid for energy extraction. The European… Continue reading The Trans-Caspian Pipeline and waning EU values
Increasing transparency is a key measure to manage and mitigate many security risks posed by Chinese investments into sensitive sectors. Slovakia’s experience in fighting shell corporations and oligarchs offers an example of how to do it. Recent years have seen a growing recognition in the EU about the potential abuse of foreign direct investment for… Continue reading Weaponizing transparency: Dealing with security risks of Chinese investments
